


Winter's Promise

by ScarletWinter2478



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Action & Romance, Adventure & Romance, F/M, Love, Love at First Sight, Mystery, Romance, True Love, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 00:43:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 41,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11025003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletWinter2478/pseuds/ScarletWinter2478
Summary: Bucky Barnes and Lauren Mitchell were meant to be together.  Their first encounter had been brief yet passionate, lacking only in time.  A few years later, they meet again and the feelings that had been fleeting before are now explored to the fullest.  It seems like the perfect fairy tale until their happiness is threatened by the jealousy and hatred of a mad man.  Will they get their happily ever after?  Or will the cruelty of fate tear them apart once again?





	1. Part One - Little Voices

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction created by MY imagination. Characters from the MCU are used liberally and the timeline may or may not be changed to fit the needs of the storyline. I make no attempt to keep the characters or their actions in accordance with the rules of canon that so many comic readers expect.  
> This is a love story and as such there are some risqué scenes that may, on occasion, be called smut, but don't quite reach that level, IMHO.  
> I am in love with my version of Bucky Barnes and hope you will love him too!

Monday 7:25 AM

Bucky eased into his usual seat, nestled close to the building and next to the alley, mostly hidden behind a large corner post and away from prying eyes. However, he need only lean slightly to his left to have a clear view of both corners of the street and the small shops that stood in a neat little row across the road. He had settled into Greenwood, not intending to stay more than a few days. Just long enough to catch a few odd jobs to earn money to move on to the next town. He would steal it if he had to, but preferred not to risk it. He had several area newspapers that he tossed on the table along with his baseball cap. Glancing around the covered patio where he and a handful of other customers sat, he sighed, confident that he had not been followed and that no one was paying the least bit of attention to him. Just then, the waitress brought out the muffin and steaming hot cup of coffee he had ordered inside.

"Can I get you anything else sweetie?" she asked with a smile and that mid-western drawl that he was growing accustomed to.

"No thank you ma'am," he replied.

"It's Alice hun... you have stopped in here nearly every morning for goin' on two weeks now. You call me Alice." Bucky smiled at her and said "Thank you Alice", as he winked and grabbed up the coffee to take a sip. Alice nodded, patted him lightly on his shoulder and wishing him a good day, headed back to work. He unwrapped the giant muffin and took a bite, closing his eyes for a moment as he savored the sweet goodness of his "breakfast" treat. Taking another sip of coffee, he looked down the street in the direction he knew 'she' would be coming from. The sign in the window of Jackson's Market proclaimed it would open at 8:00 AM, but she would be there at least 30 minutes before then to get things in order. A little voice in his head began to ask WHY he even knew that, but Bucky chose to ignore it and continued eating his muffin.

 

Lauren rounded the corner to Main Street, arms full and mind racing. It seemed that there was no end to the list of things she needed to do and not nearly enough hours in the day to get it all done. It didn't help that she hadn't been sleeping well, had no time for exercise and certainly had not been eating right for over a year now. She was exhausted. She was frustrated. And she was lonely. Stopping in front of the market, she set her bags on the sidewalk and dug in her jeans pocket for the key. "Suck it up kiddo", she chided herself. "You can do this." At least that was what everyone had been telling her for the past 14 months. Those 14 long months since Zach, the man she had intended to spend the rest of her life with... her husband of nearly 5 years had gone off to war and died in a far away place that she couldn't even pronounce... Yeah, I CAN do this. But maybe I don't want to. What about that? What if, I just don't want to? "Poor Lauren. Life has treated you so unfairly" whispered the little devil that nested on her shoulder. "Oh STOP it!" she chided herself. "Stop the pity party and get on with it!" Lauren yanked the keys from her pocket, unlocked the door and turned to wave at Joe, the new owner of the store next door.

 

Bucky had spotted her as soon as she turned the corner. Medium height, slight build but generously curvy in all the right places, her blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail...girl next door. He had visited the market 4 or was it 5 times since he arrived in Greenwood? He told himself it was because it was small, not as many people to keep an eye on while he grabbed a few pieces of fruit, a carton of milk or something to snack on. He told himself he was not really interested in "her", that it was nothing more than a physical response that caused the stirrings he felt when she smiled at him and wished him a good day. He frowned as she waved at the man standing out in front of the antique store next to the market. She was grinning and said something that Bucky could not hear, but it had apparently been quite funny, as the antique man laughed out loud and seemed highly amused. Punk.

Bucky watched her go inside, flipping on lights and grabbing the bright pink smock that she wore over her white t-shirt and blue jeans. He knew that she would be busy with the process of 'opening up' for a while, so he grabbed one of the newspapers and started scanning the articles. He was amused by just how much of the paper had nothing to do with actual news, but was instead filled with opinions and advertisements. There had been very little mention of the incident in DC when the heli-carriers had crashed to the ground with millions of dollars of destruction in their wake. Cover up. How else to explain the lack of coverage? With all the available modern media, it SHOULD have been big news every day for weeks. But somehow, the coverage seemed to end after only a few days.

Apparently, SHIELD or HYDRA or SOMEBODY wanted to keep all that had happened off the grid. Damn!! If only he could remember more. The man he had pulled from the water. That man had called him Bucky, friend. They had had quite a brawl, he remembered that much. The heli-carriers were all going to crash. The man had broken Bucky's arm and Bucky? He had been determined to kill the guy. Yeah, we must have been real close. He had read an article right after it had all happened reporting that, "Steve Rogers, Captain America" had been seriously injured, but was expected to make a full recovery. Well, good. At least he thought it was a good thing. He wasn't really sure of anything. Fuck it. Thinking about it always brought on a killer headache. There would be time enough to figure it all out later. Right now, he just wanted to lay low and allow his arm a few more days to heal, even though it was pretty well mended already. Later he could figure out who he was and who he could trust.

 

Taking a quick survey of shelves and displays, Lauren grabbed a bottle of juice from the cooler and flipped over the sign on the door to read OPEN. Stepping behind the counter, she grabbed her book, waiting for the first customers to arrive. It didn't take long. Jackson's Market was a small grocery store, providing a nice variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, milk, the basics. She had inadvertently inherited the place when her aunt and uncle had decided to follow their dreams and packing up their belongings had left the country for a missions trip to only God knew where. She had heard from them just once since then and that was when they had told her that the market was hers to keep or sell as she saw fit. There had been many days when selling the place and moving on had seemed like the wisest thing to do. But she had always found a reason to stay.

The first customers of the day, were Mr. & Mrs. Davidson, an elderly couple who still acted like they were young and in love, always giggling and teasing each other. Right on their heels came Sarah Joyce, single mother of 3 who seemed to always be out of bread and milk. Lauren often wondered just how Sarah found the energy to handle her kids, her job and her hectic life in general, with such ease. For about 20 minutes there was a steady stream of local people, all of them ready to face the new week. Typical Monday morning...

She turned her attention back to the book she had been trying to read for the past week. Just when she found the spot where she had left off, the bell over the door jangled again. Grabbing the first scrap of paper she could find to use as a book mark, Lauren looked up to see 'the plum guy' standing in the doorway. He had the habit of scoping out the room before he came on in and let the door close.

Putting on a friendly smile, she called out "Good morning!"

Bucky looked at her, nodded and mumbled "Good morning."

Although she had been hoping for a little more, when it didn't come, Lauren added "Let me know if you need anything... A fresh order of peaches came in this morning. And it looks like there are still a few loaves of fresh homemade bread left in the basket" The man nodded again, and said "Thanks"....

Jesus Christ!! What the hell is wrong with me? Bucky wondered in frustration. Use your words man, use your words!! He mentally smacked himself on the head. Trying to think of something clever to say, while hoping she didn't think he was a total waste of time, he was literally saved by the bell when the door opened to let in another customer.

"Hey Lauren!" the tall lanky red-head purred. "What's up girlfriend?"

"Hi Liz. What brings you in so early?" Lauren asked somewhat suspiciously. She had been friends with Liz for a very long time and knew that it was not her custom to do much of ANYTHING before noon. Liz had managed to win the heart of one of the few 'well to do' men who actually lived in Greenwood and as a result, she didn't have to worry about things like money or working or responsibility.

"I have come to officially invite you to the annual town celebration cookout on Sunday afternoon." Grabbing an apple from the bin, she took a noisy bite and blinked her big green eyes several times in rapid succession, certain that it made her irresistible.

"Lizzy. We live 3 blocks from each other. Your town is my town. YOU don't need to invite me."

"Yes," the red-head nodded, smiling sweetly. "But I know you. You won't come out and play if someone doesn't shame you into it."

Lauren was already shaking her head, "No thanks."

"Oh Lori, c'mon! That cute veterinarian from down the road will be there. And I know for a fact that he REALLY likes you." Lauren frowned as Liz continued "Or that new preacher from the Baptist church. He is so handsome and such a gentleman."

"No. Liz, please stop."

"For God's sake Lor! (the angrier Liz got the shorter she cut Lauren's name. It had been that way since high school) Zach has been gone for over a year. He wouldn't expect you to spend the rest of your life mourning him. He would hate to see you like this. He wouldn't even recognize you most of the time. He would want to know where your smile, your REAL smile and that stupid laugh of yours have gone to..."

"Stop," Lauren ground out between clenched teeth. But Liz continued on, "You know I'm right. He was all about life and living every moment to the fullest and you.. you are just a shell of that wonderful person that he loved so much." Again, and much louder than she intended, Lauren hissed "STOP IT!"

Bucky had been listening to this exchange, trying to act like he wasn't. He didn't like the way the red-head was talking to Lauren, and it was clear that she was about to lose her composure. He couldn't tell if she was going to cry or clobber Liz with the stapler that sat near the cash register, so he carried the items he was going to buy up to the end of the counter, allowing the two women a moment to finish their 'conversation' .

Liz lowered her voice slightly, leaned in and said, "Lauren, Zach was my brother. I loved him and I love you. We both only ever wanted to see you happy. Please. Find a way to be happy again."

Sighing, Lauren replied" Do you know what would make me happy right now?"

"Umm..." Liz pretended to guess, "Me, walking out the door?"

"Thank you", Lauren faked a smile and pointed the way.

Determined to have the last word, Liz stopped with her hand on the door handle, turned to openly stare at Bucky and said, "You could always bring the 'the plum guy'... and with a wicked grin, she walked out.

Pressing her palm against her forehead, and sucking in a deep breath, Lauren looked up as the before mentioned 'plum guy' moved to stand in front of the register. Shaking her head slightly, she said, "I'm sorry. I don't know how much of that you heard, but I apologize. She means well, really, but she can be over the top sometimes...well, most of the time. I'm Lauren by the way. Lauren Mitchell," she held her hand out to him and Bucky took it gently in his own. He looked into her eyes and with a somber voice replied, "That must make me the plum guy. But you can call me Bucky." Lauren giggled as he continued, "You don't have anything to apologize for, unless you are the one who tagged me with that awful name."

Lauren bit her lip and answered, "Oh gosh! I am sorry! Liz saw you in here the other day and asked about you later. All I really knew was that you had bought plums a couple of times..."

Still holding her hand, he wondered aloud, "Maybe I should start buying beer and knives and stuff? Maybe some, tobacco? Something that sounds a little more.. MANLY?"

Lauren suggested he start with motor oil and fishing worms, but warned that he would need to shop the next block over to get those items. She was acutely aware of the warmth of his hand as he seemed determined to continue holding hers, just as he held her gaze with his sparkling gray blue eyes. She couldn't look away, not that she really wanted to. Long dark hair framed his near perfect face. Strong jaw, slightly furrowed brow, sensual lips that she just knew had kissed a thousand women, and those soulful eyes that drew you in and held you there. Those eyes told a story, but it was confusing her. For a young man, they held such an odd combination of wisdom and regret and curiosity and pain, or was it sorrow? She wanted to know more. She wanted him to say more. His voice wasn't overly deep, but was tinged with the tiniest bit of gravel. She wanted to hear him laugh... certain that it would be a beautiful sound....(Oh crap!! What the hell am I doing? she thought to herself. What is WRONG with me?... I don't even know this man and...)

All at once, Bucky let go of her and straightened up. It took Lauren a second to realize that the door had opened and another customer was weaving her way down the first aisle. Feeling a little self-conscious, like, maybe he could read her mind as she assessed his... assets, she started ringing up the items. Bucky watched the register as the total grew, not sure he had enough on him to cover the amount. He had paid another week's worth of rent on the room at the motel where he was staying and he hadn't lined up any odd jobs for this week. Too busy focusing on something or, let's be honest, someone, that he shouldn't have been. Real smart. He had a few dollars tucked away in his backpack, but was going to need more, and soon.

"That's $12.97", Lauren announced as she ripped the receipt from the roll and handed it to Bucky. Only then did she notice that he was chewing on his bottom lip. She watched as he pulled a couple of bills out of his pocket and handed them over. Apparently, money was a bit tight for him right now. Out of the blue, an idea hit her and even as her angry little voice jabbed her hard, she amazed herself as she took a deep breath and began, "uhh.... Mr...Bucky? Right?" He looked at her with a grin and offered, "Barnes, Bucky Barnes." Grinning back at him, Lauren continued, "Well, Mr. Barnes. I have an offer for you." She had his full attention now. "You may have noticed that I am operating this place pretty much on my own at the moment. That's because my part-time cashier and my stock-boy/handy-man ran off together a week ago. It was all very scandalous, and somewhat exciting, but all around bad news for me."

Bucky thought he knew where this was going and was slightly amused by how much he wanted to be right. Seeing his interest grow, Lauren continued, "The hours are kind of crappy and I can't pay a LOT, but I could really use the help..."

"Yes" Bucky didn't let her finish. "I'll take it. Whatever you need, whenever you need it."

Lauren blinked in surprise and Bucky realized that he may have sounded a little too eager. He cleared his throat and asked "So, when do I start?"

"Well, you could start in the morning, or better yet, why don't you come back here this evening, around 5:00. I'll try to have some kind of schedule worked out by then and you can help me close up. How does that sound?" What am I doing what am I doing what am I doing? kept running through Lauren's mind as she tried to appear calm on the outside.

Bucky nodded in agreement, grabbed his bag of groceries and started walking to the door. Surprising herself yet again Lauren hurried around the counter and caught up to him, then without a second thought, began "I was going to suggest that when we finish closing up, if you don't already have plans, I mean, if you feel like it, you could," pausing to calm herself down, she continued with, "Would you like to have dinner with me? I put a roast in the crock pot this morning and I'll have more than enough."

He didn't know exactly what a crock pot was, but the thought of sitting down and sharing a meal with her was more than he could resist. The little voice from earlier reared its ugly head. What the hell was he thinking? Didn't he remember WHY he was on the road? He was still on the run, a hunted man. Did he really want to get her involved in all this? Did he really want to take that risk? Was he crazy?

Bucky hesitated just long enough that Lauren thought he was trying to come up with an excuse, some way to say no. She tried her best to keep the unreasonable disappointment she was feeling from showing on her face. Just as the other customer made her way to the counter to check out, Bucky nodded at Lauren and answered "Yes. I would like that, if you are sure it's no trouble."

Lauren smiled brightly at him then, and he saw it. He saw that REAL smile that her friend had spoken of earlier. He saw it and he felt it and in that moment he knew that he wanted to be the only one to make her smile like that. (Oh... get a grip Barnes. You are losing it!! Fuck you little voice. Fuck you.)

"Great" she answered, walking back to the cash register. "I'll see you back here at 5:00"

"I'll, be here boss" he winked at her as she turned to watch him go.

 

Monday 7:05 PM

Bucky was starting to think he had made a mistake. Re-stocking shelves, scrubbing out a large cooler and refilling it, sweeping and mopping, all pretty simple chores. Lauren had only checked on him once while she spent most of her time doing some kind of paper work up front. In fact, everything had gone smoothly right up to the end, when he somehow managed to slosh half a bucket of dirty water on himself. He could smell the odor of dirt on well worn wet jeans as they walked to her house. It wasn't a long walk, and they took a back road, if there is such a thing in a small town like this, so he was hopeful that no one noticed him along the way.

As they stepped onto the front porch, they were welcomed by the sounds of barking, whimpering, excited dogs. Lauren opened the door, and Bucky was greeted by the odd trio that made enough racket for twice that many animals. After a quick introduction, she shooed the animals out to the back yard to "take care of business" and turned to Bucky, suggesting that he might like a shower while she got dinner ready to put on the table. Grateful, he followed her up a set of stairs and she showed him to the bathroom that sat between two bedrooms. "I'm sure I have some sweats and a t-shirt or something that you can put on. I'll just throw your clothes in the washer". Bucky started to protest, but the determined look on her face convinced him to just go with it.

 

Now, standing in the shower, hot water running through his hair, down his back, splashing off his metal arm, it dawned on him that he was going to have to give her at least some of his 'story'. What should he tell her? She was better off not knowing about Hydra.. he was sure of that. They could be looking for him right now. And then there was Steve Rogers. He hadn't seemed like the type to give up easily and Bucky felt sure he would come looking for him. Shit. What a mess. He liked Lauren and didn't want to put her in the middle of anything. He should leave, but he didn't want to. Instinctively, he felt he could trust her. He wanted to confide in her. He wanted to spend time with her, like a normal person. He wanted...

His head was starting to ache again so he finished up in the shower and dried off with possibly the softest towel he had ever felt. He slowly opened the door to the hallway. The hot water had steamed up the mirror and the small room was stuffy. There on the floor next to the door was a neat stack of clothes. Bucky pulled on a pair of jeans and sorted through the shirts. There were a handful of tees, sweat shirts and even a long sleeved button down shirt. He thought about it for a moment then opted for a white tee with navy lettering that spelled out KC Royals. He didn't put it on yet, but flung it over his shoulder and then straightened up the bathroom, wiping down the mirror and making sure he hadn't splashed water on the floor. As he hung up the towel, he glanced across the hall and something caught his eye.

The evening sun was streaming in through the window and catching the metallic sheen of something hanging off the mirror above a dresser. Bucky was drawn to the sight, walking across the hall and into the room to get a closer look. He reached out to hold the chain in his hand. It was made of silver beaded links, with a pair of ... dog tags and a man's gold wedding band attached to it. It looked like a match to the ring that Lauren wore. The tags read Sgt Zachary David Mitchell. Bucky remembered having some tags just like these, only the name on them had been... Sgt James Buchanan - -

Lauren's sudden gasp of surprise made him drop the chain and turn with a start. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I just, I mean, these remind me of..." He stopped trying to explain what he had been doing when he realized that she was not angry that he was snooping in her bedroom, but instead, was staring at his left arm.

She had seen prosthetic arms before. When Zach had gone off to war, Lauren had started volunteering a few hours a week at a nearby veteran's hospital. It was one of the most difficult things she had ever done. And it was one of the most rewarding. She had seen soldiers with all manner of injuries. There were many, way too many, with missing limbs. But she had never seen anything quite like this. Without realizing what she was doing, she started reaching out to touch the peculiar looking arm. Just as her fingers were about to make contact, she remembered her training at the hospital. Don't invade a patient's personal space unless invited. She looked into Bucky's eyes, seeking his permission, he nodded and whispered, "Go ahead."

It was warm. Much warmer than she had imagined it would be. It could be from the hot shower he had just taken, but she didn't think so. It felt like it was a part of him. It felt real. It felt alive. Bucky watched, mesmerized as she first held his hand, rubbing the length of his fingers, exploring the palm and the metal jointed knuckles, then slowly ran her fingers from his hand up the length of his arm. She stopped now and then to gently caress the different grooves here and there, the bend of his elbow, the bicep, the red star that covered the curve of his shoulder. With no thought to what she was doing, she gingerly slipped her hand to his flesh where the arm was attached, lightly touching the scars left there by the surgeons. Bucky sucked in a deep breath as a sudden wave of emotion arose in him, hitting him hard and he swallowed back a groan. He could not remember the last time he had been touched by anyone with such tenderness, and he fought to control a desire he hadn't felt in years.

A drop of water fell from his still wet hair, landing on Lauren's wrist, intent on ruining the moment. She pulled her hand away in surprise, but Bucky captured it gently with his metal fingers, drawing her closer. He looked into her eyes, and instead of the fear or disgust he expected to see there, they were filled with overwhelming compassion. Time stood still as they stood there, gazing at one another, each of them searching for something they both needed, but weren't quite ready to find. Bucky reached out and touched Lauren softly, just below her ear, running his finger along her jaw, stopping at her mouth, his thumb gently rubbing her lips causing them to part in anticipation. He cupped her chin in his hand and she instinctively moved her free hand to rest on his chest, his warm bare skin calling up feelings she didn't want to think of. Unable, or unwilling to fight the urge, Bucky leaned in closer, his lips brushing hers with a gentle kiss. He lingered there, his face mere inches from hers, as he waited to see if she would respond in kind, or possibly slap the shit out of him. At this point he wasn't sure of anything. Lauren's mind was racing and her heart was pounding. She was torn between being angry with herself for allowing him to kiss her and desperately wanting him to do it again. Her body reacted on its own as she began to lift her head up to feel his lips again ... Suddenly the door bell rang, sending the dogs into a torrent of barking and Lauren backed away. Looking as flustered as he felt, she croaked out, "I should ... see who that is. Come on down when you are ready."

The scent of her perfume lingered as she set off down the stairs and Bucky silently cursed the gods as he took several calming breaths, pulling the nearly forgotten shirt on over his head. (Now what? the annoying voice spoke up again. You can't do this. You know you can't stay here. Not in this sleepy little town where everybody knows everything that everybody else is doing. You need to keep moving. You need to stay focused. Obviously, you can't do that here. And you absolutely cannot start something with this woman knowing that you ... ) Growling to himself, he turned and headed toward the stairs then stopped abruptly. Whoever had rung the door bell was in the house now. Bucky stayed back far enough that that he could not be easily seen, but he could hear the conversation. With a grimace, he recognized the voice of Lauren's friend, Liz.

 

"Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for this morning." There was an uncomfortable pause, and then Liz spoke again. "Come on sis.. you know I only do these things because I love you and want you to be happy. In fact...Oh... Am I interrupting something? I see your table is set for two and ..." Another, longer pause followed by a loudly whispered, "OH MY GOD!! Do, do you have company?!! Is there someone upstairs?" Liz grabbed Lauren's arm demanding to know, "Is it the plum guy?? I could tell that you liked him! But I didn't expect THIS!!"

An exasperated sounding Lauren spoke up. "Yes, I do have a guest upstairs who is cleaning up a bit before we eat." Liz looked knowingly at the half bath just off the laundry room, silently asking the obvious question of why the "guest" was upstairs where the bedrooms were and not cleaning up down here. Ignoring the look, Lauren continued, "Of course, your apology is accepted. We'll talk more tomorrow, OKAY?"

Twirling a finger in her long hair, Liz replied "That sounds good. You and your "guest" enjoy your dinner and ... each other." Not taking the bait, Lauren took her friend by the arm, guiding her to the door and none too gently moved her through it, saying "Good night Liz." "Good night Lauren," Liz said with a smirk and then she added in a sing-song voice, "Good night plum-guy" followed by wicked laughter that could be heard as the door closed.

Turning around, and feeling quite disconcerted, Lauren's attention was drawn to the stairs. Bucky sat there, near the bottom, looking better than he had a right to. He seemed relaxed, confident, apparently completely unaware of how moved she had been by his kiss, and she couldn't help but notice how the shirt he wore clung to his body in a most..pleasing way. (Oh shit Lauren.. don't even go there!) Apparently the hot shower had worked wonders on him. He raised his eyebrows, shaking his head and said, "She really IS something else." Standing, he continued, " Wow! It smells great in here. How about we eat?" Lauren nodded and said, "Yes, let's do."

 

The meal that followed was the best that Bucky could remember. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it. The conversation was light hearted and flowed easily. The dogs stood nearby, expecting and receiving the occasional hand out. For a few minutes, he almost forgot his troubles. He allowed himself to imagine that this was his life. A nice house, spoiled dogs, a woman to share it all with. Could it ever happen? Maybe not, but he intended to enjoy this moment for as long he could. After clearing the table, loading the dishwasher and pouring them both a fresh glass of sweet tea, Lauren led the way to the living room, where she kicked off her shoes, curled up on the couch, flanked by a small dog on each side, and a larger one on the floor. Bucky sat in a big comfy recliner that he imagined had been 'Zach's chair'. After a few minutes of companionable silence, Lauren looked at him and asked, "Okay, Bucky Barnes, what's your story? I mean, I'm not stupid or completely naive. It's pretty clear that there is a lot going on with you. And I'm perfectly okay with that. We all have our crosses to bear, right? I just, I feel like you have a lot to say, and maybe I need to hear it".

Bucky nodded his head several times. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, a battle raging in his mind. He should thank her for dinner, for her kindness, say goodnight and leave. That's what he should do. He knew it. He opened his eyes, intending to do just that. Then she smiled at him and he couldn't. He didn't want to. He opened his mouth ... and no words came. He stared at Lauren, with his blue eyes so intense they sent a delicious shiver down her spine. Lauren waited, wondering what demon Bucky was fighting that made him look so vulnerable. And then he began, by telling her "My name is James Buchanan Barnes. I was born in 1917 in Brooklyn."

Lauren started to speak, but his eyes pleaded with her to let him go on, so she sat quietly and listened as he told her his story. Some of it he was actually beginning to remember, but a lot of it was based on things he had heard or seen in the museum and in the news reports. The look on her face told him that she believed him, even though she was having a difficult time processing it all. Obviously, she had heard about Captain America and was familiar with the process he had gone through, so maybe that helped her accept his own story. He told her what he knew of the mission he had been on, of falling from the train, certain in that moment that he was going to die. He started to tell her about being held prisoner and the torture and brainwashing he had gone through, but he couldn't seem to get the words out. Lauren could see that he was struggling and said, "Bucky, its ok... you don't have to..." but he cut her off, saying, "I want to. I want you to understand that I am not the person you think I am."

He started again, and this time, the words flowed. After several minutes of describing the horrible things that had been done to him and that HE had done to others, the intensive weapons and self defense training, the people he had killed, the memory wipes, his time in cryo-freeze, he stopped for a moment and closed his eyes, looking defeated, then continued with a ragged sigh, "There are probably people looking for me right now. I was there in DC when all the crap went down. I was a part of it. And I may be putting you in danger, just by being here."

Bucky grew quiet and Lauren watched as he fought inwardly with his own words. She couldn't even begin to imagine trying to cope with all he had been through. She should probably be afraid of him, but she wasn't. At this moment, she wanted nothing more than to put her arms around him and assure him that he was not the monster he thought he was. That he was a good man who had had terrible things done to him. That she trusted him with her life.

Interrupting her thoughts, Bucky spoke up. "I guess this really messes up our evening, huh? I should go before I make it worse."

Leaving her spot on the couch, Lauren moved to stand in front of him, then knelt down on the floor and took his hand. "Bucky. I am so sorry this happened to you. No one should ever go through the things that you have. I can't imagine how lost and alone you must feel," her eyes were filling with hot tears as she continued, " Believe me when I tell you that you haven't messed up anything. Please don't go. I would really like for you to stay a while, if you want to."

Nearly overcome with emotion, Lauren rested her forehead on Bucky's knee, willing herself to NOT ry. Bucky moved his free hand to her head, his metal fingers gently stroking her hair, touched by her kindness and surprised that she hadn't run screaming from the room in fear. If he had been in her place, he wasn't sure he would be so willing to accept it all. They sat in silence for a little longer, until Lauren pulled herself up, grabbed Libby, the smallest of her dogs and dropped her in Bucky's lap. He looked at her with doubt in his eyes and she said "Best medicine in the world... at least it always makes me feel better," then added, "Bucky, I know it all seems so awful right now. I mean, it IS awful. If there is anything I can do, any way I can help you, please tell me. You didn't deserve any of this. I know that in my heart. I have to believe it will work out for you. I don't know how, but somehow, it will." Bucky held up the ball of fur he was holding, looking into the dog's innocent eyes, then at Lauren and softly answered, "Yeah. I hope so."

 

A half hour later, after a rousing game of keep away, which the older of the 3 dogs was allowed to win, Lauren retrieved Bucky's clothes from the dryer, along with the pile from the hallway. She put them into a bag and said, "Take these too. There's no since in having them go to waste."

After a short hesitation, he took the bag and said "Can I ask you something?' There was something in his voice and the look in his eyes that set her spidey senses to tingling. Lauren looked at him with a tiny bit of doubt, but she answered, "Sure." He was standing so close to her, she could smell the scent of her body wash on him. "Why are you being so nice to me?" It was a simple enough question, but one that caused Lauren to stumble all over her own tongue. Stuttering she replied, "uh..b..because you looked like you could use a little help... and I.. uh it ..it seemed like the right thing to do." Bucky shook his head. "But you didn't even know anything about me and you invited me into your home... I'm pretty sure that's not something you make a habit of doing." Flustered, Lauren said "No! No, of course not." With a ghost of a smile Bucky touched her cheek and said, "You think about it, and when you figure it out, let me know."

She knew what he was implying, but didn't know what to say, so she just nodded and followed him as he headed towards the door. Turning back to face her, he said, "Thank you Lauren Mitchell, for everything." Stepping closer to him, Lauren practically whispered "You're welcome Bucky Barnes," and after a soft kiss on the cheek she added, "I'll see you in the morning?"

Bucky nodded and echoed, "In the morning" then slipped out the door into the night.

 

 

Tuesday 7:40 AM

 

Lauren was running late. Sleep had been a long time coming last night. She had tossed and turned and replayed the evening over and over in her mind. And of course that annoying little voice insisted on asking the hard questions. Questions like, Are you falling for this guy? Did you want him to kiss you? Were you going to kiss him back? Did you hear the part about him being some kind of angry assassin? Did you? Are you NUTS??" Stuff like that. And then there was Bucky himself, asking that innocent (ha!) question that had turned her into a flustered teen-ager with a giant sized crush. So now she was rushing around, turning off lights, getting her dogs settled in, trying to remember everything she needed to do. Wondering if she should drive the short distance to the market, she took a deep breath and decided not to. Late was late. What difference would a few minutes more make?

 

Bucky waited at the café, leaning casually against the brick wall, facing the street. He had slept like a baby last night, feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. It had been so easy and felt so good to share his story with Lauren. He was still amazed by how well she had taken it all. The fact that she believed in him and trusted him. The way she had tried to comfort him. Her offer to help him. The look in her eyes when he had kissed her. How soft and warm her lips felt. When his own little voice had started in on him, Bucky had just rolled over, closed his eyes and slept.

 

Alice, the owner and operator of the "Morning Café" (accurately named as they were only open from breakfast through the lunch hour then closed for the day) had been keeping tabs on Bucky for about 20 minutes. There was something very different about him this morning. He had always been pleasant enough. Quiet. Polite. A little sad maybe. Today though, it was different, and in fact, he seemed to be in a really good mood. She liked seeing him this way. All at once, she knew the reason why. Bucky perked up and started walking across the street, where he greeted Lauren, who as usual had her arms full and a grin on her face. Bucky took the bags of homemade bread and rolls (supplied to Lauren by her next door neighbor) and she pulled out her keys, saying something that brought a bright smile to the man's face. Alice watched all this and nodded to herself, thinking it was about time Lauren moved on with life after Zach. This handsome, gentle man seemed to be just the ticket!!

Inside Jackson's Market, the pair made small talk for a few minutes, careful to avoid the topic that was uppermost in both of their minds, then Lauren laid out the odd jobs that she needed Bucky to do that day and they both got to work. They fell into an easy, comfortable routine and the days seemed to pass like hours. And so it appeared that all was well with the world, at least their little corner of it.

 

 

Wednesday 7:45 PM

 

Lauren was tied up on the phone, having a lengthy conversation with a friend she hadn't heard from in a long time. Bucky busied himself playing tug of war with the dogs until he noticed a white silk bound photo album on the shelf under a window. He pulled it out and started flipping through the pages. It was filled with pictures of Lauren and a decent looking guy with short brown hair and dark brown eyes. They looked beyond happy and completely in love. Wedding photos. He almost closed the book, but was compelled to keep turning the pages. Next there were reception photos that took Bucky's breath away. Lauren was so beautiful, and that smile... Then honeymoon photos, many taken on a beach somewhere with amazing views. But you could see that the couple only had eyes for each other. There were also lots of candid pictures of the two of them, alone or surrounded by friends. Then, there at the back of the book, Bucky found two things that took him by surprise. First, a diploma that awarded Lauren degrees in Astrophysics & Space Technology, followed by a letter of intent to hire from Stark Industries... Stark Industries.

When she joined him in the living room, Bucky blurted out, "What are you doing in Greenwood Lauren? Why aren't you working at NASA or something like that?"

She saw the photo album, now sitting on the coffee table. "Oh, that. It just didn't work out the way I had planned. I mean, the day that Thor came crashing through his universe into ours, it pretty much tossed everything I thought I knew out the window." Bucky wouldn't accept that. "No. That's not true! It just makes what you know so much more important!! You shouldn't be wasting away here, not when you have the potential to be a part of something big, something amazing!"

Lauren nodded, smiling at his sudden burst of enthusiasm but only answered with, "Yeah, maybe." Bucky wanted to say more, but he could tell that she didn't want to talk about it. He didn't even bring up the letter from Stark Industries.

 

 

Thursday 6:30 PM

 

Lauren had convinced Bucky to join her for dinner each night after work. She told herself it was because she didn't like the thought of him being alone with his dark past, but she knew it was more than that. She told him to consider the meals part of his compensation for all the help he was giving her at the market. In truth, it was nice to have someone to talk to in the evenings; even though she was sure the neighbors had noticed and were beginning to speculate about just what was going on. Bucky had been a perfect gentleman, and seemed content to keep a modest distance between the two of them, although she could feel his eyes on her when he thought she was unaware. But of course, she was very much aware of him and every little move he made. Thank God that wise ass little voice of hers had, at least for the time being, given up and remained silent.

On this night, they agreed that pizza and salad sounded like a good idea for dinner. Lauren called in the order a few minutes before they left the market, so it would arrive at her house shortly after they did. She switched on the radio to an oldies station as they entered the house and then kicked off her shoes. After washing up, Bucky set to work making the salad while Lauren fed the dogs, filled a couple of glasses with ice and set some paper plates and flatware on the island counter. Bucky raised his eyebrows and said to no one in particular, "fancy." Giving him a sideways glance, she grabbed a grape tomato from the salad and bounced it off his broad chest. "No comments from the peanut gallery!"

With a feigned look of shock, Bucky bent to pick up the tomato and was pelted by a second and third one in rapid succession. The look on his face this time was more than Lauren could handle and she burst into laughter. Bucky moved to stand in front of her, grabbing her arms and pushing her back against the counter. Slowly shaking his head, he whispered in her ear, "Don't start something you can't handle."

Accepting the challenge, she whispered back "Really? And what is it that you think I can't handle?" In one swift move Bucky reached out, pulled an ice cube from one of the glasses and dropped it down the back of her shirt. She let out a shriek and tried to wiggle free, making Bucky laugh out loud. Lauren pretended to try to escape from him while she enjoyed the sound. His laughter WAS beautiful, just like she had thought it would be. She stopped struggling and gave him her best attempt at an evil, withering look to which Bucky 's response was an exaggerated "oooohhhhhh" and more laughter. Right on cue, the pizza arrived and she smirked at him as he was forced to let her go. The look on his face seemed to promise that the game was not over.

Bucky watched as Lauren pulled some money from her purse and answered the door. She stepped out onto the front porch, talking and laughing with the delivery boy, like they were old friends. He wondered, did she realize just how much her small gestures of kindness meant to the people met? Did she know how easy it was to be around her? He wanted her to know how much she had helped him. He wanted to show her how much she had come to mean to in him in the few days he had known her. He wanted...her. (Now hold it right there, Buck-a-Roo, the nasty voice awoke with a start. You can't have her. You don't have anything to offer her. You really don't have time for this. And in case you hadn't noticed, she doesn't seem to be ready to be with anyone. How do you get around that my friend? Hmmm??) Bucky choked the fucking little voice with his mind. His eyes followed her as Lauren came back inside, locked the door, stepping over several dog toys and around three dogs that were very interested in what she was carrying high above their heads.

As she reached the kitchen, Bucky took the box from her and put it on the table, then turned back to face Lauren, his gray blue eyes betraying what he was feeling. In the background, Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" was playing softly on the radio. He didn't know the song of course, but it sounded like something he could dance to. He offered Lauren his hand and when she didn't move, he said "Don't leave me hanging" and after a brief moment's hesitation she took it and he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. She knew then, that she had misinterpreted his look. No more games.

 

MUSIC CHOICE - "I Want to Know Love Is" -- Foreigner

 

There wasn't a lot of room, and that was okay. They held each other and swayed to the music, getting acquainted with one another's touch. Lauren, who felt tiny in his embrace, kept her green eyes locked on his blue ones until Bucky bent his head down close to her ear and whispered, "Relax." He had no way of knowing that her own little voice was reading her the riot act. (Don't. Don't you even think about it. Can't you see that this man is TROUBLE. He is on the run. He, he has KILLED people! He's bad news. Lauren, girlfriend, he is not Zach.)

Defiantly ignoring the warning, she closed her eyes and rested her head on Bucky's shoulder. As their bodies moved in unison to the gentle beat of the music, Bucky felt Lauren relax and he sighed, taking it all in, the gentle music, the warmth of her supple body moving in sync with his, the comforting feel of her arms around him and her head on his shoulder. After a while, he lowered his chin to rub against her cheek in a slow, possessive way. Lauren looked up at him and Bucky buried his hands in her hair as he kissed her. Gently at first, soft, deep kisses that grew in intensity. As she responded to him with equal fervor, he felt his blood racing and he lifted her onto the island counter, his breath raspy as Lauren straddled him with her legs and pulled him close. Now he showered her with kisses all over, her forehead, behind her ears, lips, cheeks, from her chin down her neck across the top of her breasts. He left a trail of hot kisses as his lips explored every inch of her bare skin.

Lauren, weak with desire, was unable to stop her moan of pleasure as she arched her back and drew him even closer. Bucky covered her mouth with his, swallowing her desire, making it a part of his. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, claiming it as his own. He wanted her. He needed her. He wanted to be with her in every sense of the word. Lauren was overwhelmed by his passion. Her body responded with a mind of its own to every kiss, every nibble, every gentle caress that he offered. He slid his hands inside her blouse, exploring her warm skin, and his touch awakened a yearning in her that spread through her whole body. She was keenly aware that things were getting out of hand, out of her control, and that she was on the verge of giving in completely to this assault on her senses. Suddenly struck by something her little voice had said, she froze. "He is not Zach." rang in her mind and she struggled to break free from the hold Bucky had on her.

"Bucky. Bucky, please stop."

He heard her. He stopped. But he didn't let go of her, he didn't move away. He watched as she lifted her hand to her lips and he saw that it was shaking. He braced his arms on either side of her, searching her face he whispered, "You're trembling. Are you afraid of me?"

Hearing the disappointment in his voice, she was quick to respond, "No. Bucky, no. I'm not afraid of you. It's... I... I'm afraid, of the way you make me feel." Not sure what to say, Bucky, the proof of his desire causing him some discomfort at the moment, continued to take deep breaths as he said "I don't know what that means. How do I make you feel?" Lauren reached out to touch his face and pushed a strand of hair from his eyes. Not fully recovered from their moment of passion and needing some solid ground, she suggested, "Can we move to the couch? I'm getting a cramp in my leg." Looking down, Bucky realized that he still held her in a somewhat compromising position. He took both of her wrists in his hands and pulled her arms up and around his neck, telling her to "hold on" and then sliding his hands under her he picked her up and carried her to the couch.

 

Lauren sat sideways, with one leg tucked under her, facing Bucky. He asked again, "How do I make you feel?" Searching for the right words, she put her hand on his leg, closed her eyes for a few seconds and then said, "Breathless. Dizzy and weak in the knees. Excited and confused. Crazy with... desire. " Bucky put his hand on top of hers asking "And that, that's a bad thing?" Looking flushed and a little confused herself, she tried to explain, "No. Yes. Yes and no. Bucky I am, obviously, very attracted to you. But you knew that even before I did. It's been a long time since I have felt like this. I won't deny that I want you, because I do. I really do. But I can't. I can't." Throwing her head back in frustration, she groaned, "Oh God! I hate this... Bucky, I still love Zach. I know how crazy that must sound. People tell me all the time to move on...move on. And as amazing as I know being with you would be, it still feels wrong to me. I'm sorry. I am so sorry." There. She had finally admitted it to herself. And to a man she had barely known for two weeks. That's great Lauren. Your shrink, if you had one, would be so proud of you.

Bucky surprised her when he nodded and replied, "Lauren, it's alright. Don't be sorry and don't apologize. I know. I've known from the start." He squeezed her hand then wove his fingers between hers. "You still wear your wedding ring. You haven't packed his clothes away. You still live in this house that you shared with him, surrounded by all those memories, when you should be working on the space station, for god's sake. I would have to be blind not to see it. In fact, I should probably apologize to you, for being so...frisky. Only I'm not sorry, because I meant every bit of it." Lauren blushed as Bucky moved closer to her, "When you are ready to move on, you will. And I want you to know something. If I COULD stay here, I would wait for you, no matter how long it takes." Looking into his honest eyes, she could only mouth the words "Thank you". Bucky leaned in and kissed her then, a slow, sweet kiss full of longing.

 

Lauren sighed. "It's like a cruel joke, isn't it? I mean, you are searching desperately to find memories of your past and I am trying so very hard to put my memories to rest. Our timing kind of sucks." He pulled her into his arms then and held her close. She couldn't think of any place she would rather be. Bucky chuckled and said, "Just for the record, when it comes to 'not feeling like this for a long time', I think I probably hold the record for that." Realizing what he was saying, she laughed, punching his arm. "You dork!!" Bucky wondered aloud, "Dork? Is that more like a punk, or a jerk?" She smirked and told him "It's only slightly better than both of those." There was a loud tapping at the back window. The dogs went wild. Bucky groaned. "If that's Liz..." but before he could finish his thought, Lauren promised, "I won't even open the door."

 

It was Alice! Lauren pulled the door open and before she could get a word out, Alice rushed in, looking quite flustered and out of breath. "Lauren! Oh my! I need to talk to you." She spotted Bucky, "and you too son. It involves you too." He joined them in the kitchen, putting his arm around Lauren's waist. She had gone pale. Smart girl. She already had the same bad feeling that he did. "What's happened?" he asked.

Alice tried to calm herself but quickly blurted out. "Two men, dressed in suits and waving official looking badges, came to the Café a bit ago. I was there picking up some papers I needed at home. I told them I was closed, but they wouldn't go away." Bucky heard Lauren as she whispered "No..." He asked Alice, "What did they say?"

"That they were from DC, some division of Homeland Security or some such nonsense. They told me they were looking for a fugitive, a very dangerous man. They showed me a photo, asked me if I recognized the man, if I had seen him around town." Alice looked directly at Bucky, "It was you." He sucked in a deep breath and asked "Alice. What did you tell them?" Lauren was shaking, and this time she was afraid.

"Oh, I didn't tell them anything. I looked at the photo and mentioned how we get a lot of strangers around here this time of year, because of all the fisherman and campers that drive through. Told them how, after a while, they all start looking alike. They asked about you too Lauren, or at least about the market. Wanted to know who owned it and where they could be reached. I lied and said I really didn't know. I don't think they believed me. I do know one thing though, if they start asking questions of the right people, they will get their answers. If they run into your friend Liz, she will tell them everything she knows, believing that she is helping you."

"FUCK!" Bucky swore under his breath. Lauren grabbed his arm in a death grip, "She's right. You know she is. You need to go. You need to go now!" Bucky nodded, but he had more questions for Alice. How long ago did they talk to you? Did they say if they were staying in town? Did you notice which direction they headed? What kind of car were they driving? While Alice tried to answer his questions, Lauren grabbed a chair from the table and climbed on it to reach a canister above one of the cabinets. She pulled out a wad of dollar bills and jumped down. Then she ran up the stairs to her bedroom, pushed the hanging clothes to the side and opened up a lock box that contained Zach's 9mm S&W handgun and an unopened box of ammo. She checked to make sure the safety was on, then stuck the gun in the back of her jeans and headed back downstairs. Bucky was hugging Alice, whispering something in her ear. Alice patted him on the cheek and reached out to take Lauren's hand. "I'm so sorry for the two of you. So sorry." Lauren nodded her head in understanding, as she said "Thank you" and with that Alice slipped out the door.

Once they were alone, Lauren pulled the money out of her pocket and handed it to Bucky. "There should be around $300 dollars here. I wish I had more." Bucky started to protest, but she cut him off. "Yes. Take it. You are going to need it. Consider it payment for your work at the market." Reaching behind her back, she pulled the pistol from her waistband causing Bucky to say "Whoaa!" Pulling the ammo from the other side Lauren said, "Take these too. Just in case." Bucky was adamant this time. "No. I can't take that. It would be far too easy to trace back to you. I won't take that chance." He paused a moment then asked, "Do you know how to use it?" Lauren nodded. "Good. Keep it loaded and in reach. At least for a few days." He didn't want to scare her, but he DID want her to be ready. "I need to go by the motel and grab my backpack."

Lauren, who usually had no shortage of things to say, just nodded. Bucky pulled her close, and assured her, "It's going to be okay. You said so yourself, remember?" He had so much he wanted to say to her. But time was running out. He didn't need his little voice to remind him of that. "This isn't good bye forever. We'll be together again. After all, we've got some unfinished business to take care of." He was trying to lighten the mood. Lauren forced a smile and said "Yes. I'll be looking forward to that day."

Bucky kissed her then, one last, desperate kiss, then he grabbed a piece of cold pizza, winked at her and walked out the door. Neither of them really believed they would ever meet again...

 

MUSIC CHOICE - "Can't Find My Way" -- Hardline

 

 


	2. INTERLUDE - CAPTURED

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A man more suited to the night than daylight, a woman unaware, sparks fly.

He opened the gate and moved to the side of the house without making a sound. His stealthiness was born of habit and not due to any real effort on his part. Thick brown hair hung down nearly to his shoulders, perfectly framing his chiseled features. A week's worth of scruffy beard covered his cheeks, chin, neck and upper lip. Piercing blue grey eyes quickly scanned the area for any curious onlookers, but no one was around. Peering in through the glass door, he saw her, the petite blonde, busy cleaning in the kitchen, totally unaware. He took cover under the branches of a large tree and watched her for a while. She suddenly stopped what she was doing and cocked her head to one side and he froze, thinking she must have somehow detected his presence. Then, she moved both arms in the air, in some sort of rhythmic dance and he realized that she was listening to music and conducting the orchestra in her mind. He smiled slightly as he strained to hear what she was hearing, but he couldn't quite make it out.

He continued watching, intrigued as the woman stepped out from behind the counter, taking in the sight of her shapely bare legs and feet. She wore an oversized short sleeved t-shirt that slid off one shoulder and hung long enough to cover much of her jean shorts. Her long hair was tied up loosely in a ponytail, strands escaping and caressing her neck. Some primal desire stirred deep within him and he knew that he had to have her. As she returned to the sink, he stepped from his hiding place and quickly reached the door. Not locked. He smiled again, this time not in amusement. The door slid open without a sound and the man stepped inside, never taking his eyes off the blonde, who was now busy singing along with the radio as she scrubbed a pan to the rhythm of the music.

Silent and deadly as a big game cat, he made his move, rounding the island and grabbing her from behind in one quick motion. His hand covered her mouth, stifling the scream that rose there and was now caught in her throat. His other arm wrapped around her chest like a vice, squeezing the air from her lungs while pinning her left arm and grabbing her other wrist in his hand. Putting his mouth to her ear, he whispered, "Don't make a sound. Don't fight me and I won't hurt you." He paused briefly before asking, "Understand?"

He had her trapped between the sink and his rock hard body. She couldn't think, could barely breathe and as much as she hated to admit it, she realized that he was in control. She nodded and he loosened his grip on her mouth, allowing her to suck in a deep breath of air. With his lips still pressing her ear, he reminded her, "shhh." She nodded again as he slid his hand across the top of her bare shoulder, pushing the tee even further off and down her arm. She jumped as she felt his lips touch her neck, just below her ear. He kissed her skin, softly at first then with mounting passion. He kissed and nibbled and licked a slow deliberate path from her neck across her bare shoulder then back again to whisper "mmm – sweet." His warm breath in her ear caused her skin to bubble up with goose bumps and she tried turning her head away from him. He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, leaning over her, his steely blue eyes glaring, he growled, "Do you want me to hurt you?" Her green eyes were wide as she stared back into his and whispered "no". As he released her hair, pulling the ribbon that held it back, it fell free in a tumble across her shoulders and back. He ran his fingers through it and lifted a golden lock to inhale the sweet scent of it.

The dark man pushed her head forward and down to reveal the back of her neck where he clamped down gently with his teeth and branded her with his hot mouth and tongue. Her soft tremble pleased him and his right hand snaked to the bottom of her shirt then up her side and around to cup her breast in his hand. An involuntary gasp escaped her and she bit her bottom lip, wondering if he would snarl at her again. His left hand was now locked firmly on her hip, exerting enough pressure to keep her molded against his body. She felt the massive wall of his chest as he leaned into her, his legs spreading hers as he placed his feet so that she could not move in either direction, holding her captive as his growing hardness pressed into her hip. She swallowed another gasp as the hand that had been squeezing and teasing her breast dropped down to her stomach and began to travel southward. One quick jerk and her shorts were unfastened, allowing his hand to continue exploring, sliding into her panties and still moving downward. Breathing hard now, she closed her eyes and tried to be still. As his fingers reached her most sensitive spot, she tried to back away, but of course, she had nowhere to go.

Again, he nibbled on her neck and along her shoulder as he pressed deeper into her, fingers immediately wet with her juices. She moaned and arched her back into him, unable to control the way her body responded to his touch, knowing that he had the means to end the aching need he had aroused in her. He spun her around to face him then, his mouth covering hers with hungry, bruising kisses, swallowing the whimpers and moans that tried to escape her, as her once captive arms now snaked around his neck, pulling him closer, fingers wound in his hair. He stopped his assault on her mouth and ground out, "Do you want me?" his eyes bright with urgency, and all she could do was nod. He pulled her shorts and panties off, unfastened his own pants and as his manhood was set free, he demanded "Say it. Tell me that you want me."

She touched him then and stroked his throbbing hardness, whispering "I want you".

He picked her up and carried her down the hall. She didn't fight him, no longer wanted to. He kicked his own clothes to the side as he dropped her on the bed then covered her body with his own, sliding into her with a groan. She looked into his eyes and whispered, "What the hell took you so long to get here?"

"Car trouble"

"But.."

He shushed her with a finger to her lips asking "Do you really want to discuss this right now?" He moved deep within her and she gasped, shaking her head no. He smiled at her, growling softly, "Ш дщму нщг." ("I love you")

 

MUSIC CHOICE  -- "I'm Yours" -- Jason Mraz & Daryl Hall


	3. PART TWO - ALL GOOD THINGS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love shared, friendships grow, secrets unravel...
> 
> Several scenes contain flashbacks to fill in a few blanks, but I think they are easy to follow. Enjoy!

 

Later, as they lay amidst the tangled sheets, bodies entwined and still moist with sweat from their lovemaking, she took his metal hand in both hers and gently played with his fingers. She had some sort of fetish that he didn't really understand, but that was okay. She accepted the metal arm, Winter Soldier, trained assassin part of his past and was not intimidated by it at all. Bucky was still amazed that they were here, together like this. He thought back to the day she had walked back into his life...

 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

 

\-------- Steve had gone with him to his therapy session. According to the doctor, it had been a 'good' one and Steve seemed pleased with his part in it all. Bucky supposed it was helping him to talk about all the crap that haunted his dreams, but he mostly went to keep Steve and Stark off his back. He wanted to be a part of the Avengers, and he knew that they wouldn't allow it unless they felt sure his alter ego was well under control. He had been poked and prodded and interviewed and tested a few dozen times since he came back from Wakanda. The doctors there had been unable to come up with a way to reverse the trigger words that transformed him into the Winter Soldier, but they had created and attached a new vibranium arm. It wasn't as heavy and was even more flexible than the original, but with the same strength, if not more. Considering how their relationship had began, Bucky was grateful for the protection and all that T'Challa had done for him during his time there.

 

Meanwhile, back in the States, Vision and Wanda had put their heads together and believed that they could help Bucky. It would be dangerous, as playing with the mind always was, but Steve had made the decision to let them try. So far, so good. Tony had not been too keen on the idea of bringing Barnes back to the U.S, much less into the Avengers fold, but he was really trying to mend the breach that had developed between Cap and himself during the Sokovia Accords "dispute". He knew that helping Steve's friend would go a long way to doing just that. He had however, demanded that the words be spoken to Bucky several different times in different languages and under various conditions with no sign of the Hydra assassin making an appearance. Bucky understood Tony's reasons for doubting him and he didn't complain. In fact he was just as determined as everyone else to be rid of his dark side.

 

Bucky and Steve had just left the doctor's office, intent on grabbing a bite to eat, they stepped onto the escalator heading down. As was his habit, Bucky searched the faces of the people riding up on the other side. He tried to guess where they were going or what they were thinking, reminding himself that for the most part, people were the same. They had the same issues and doubts and fear that he... SHIT!!! Bucky was sure he had recognized a face in the crowd. A face that he thought he would never see again. It was her... It couldn't be, but it was.

"Lauren?" he called out over the noise around him. Hearing her name, the woman turned her head to look his way, spotting him only seconds before their paths crossed.

"Bucky??!!" she turned her body now to watch as he said something to the man next to him, without taking his eyes off of her as she traveled up to the next level. It took all of his willpower to not jump over the rail to the other side and climb the stairs with no regard for who he might need to knock out of the way to get to her. Steve asked him 3 times if he was positive he knew this woman and Bucky assured him that he did. It wasn't some response triggered by a Hydra implant. It was Lauren.

Finally reaching the bottom, they immediately headed back up. Bucky could see Lauren, standing at the railing above, looking exactly as he remembered her, smiling down at him as she waited for him to reach the top. He wasn't sure what to expect, considering the way they had parted nearly 3 years ago and the fact that he had been unwilling and then unable to contact her for so long. Relief washed over him when he stepped off the escalator and she grabbed his hand, pulling him to the side, then throwing her arms around him she hugged him like she might never let him go. Feeling as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do, Bucky tilted her head back and kissed her, a deep, all consuming, feel it in your toes kind of kiss that left Lauren breathless.

Steve cleared his throat and Bucky, grinning from ear to ear, introduced Lauren to him. Lauren was slightly star struck as the Captain offered his hand and she took it shyly. "Captain America," she whispered... "It, I uh.. I'm so pleased to meet you!" Steve gave her one of his patented "who me? I'm nobody" looks while Bucky rolled his eyes, then gave a brief explanation of how he and Lauren knew each other. She had already sent her companions on to finish their shopping without her and it didn't take Steve long to figure out that the two of them wanted to be alone. Excusing himself, he headed back to the Stark compound, but not before he procured a promise from Bucky that he would bring Lauren along to meet all of the Avengers, in the very near future.

After Steve had gone, Bucky took Lauren's hand and they walked to the end of the mall where there were several restaurants and coffee shops. They picked the one that was the least crowded and went in to sit and "catch up". Bucky was floored to learn that Lauren actually LIVED at the Stark Compound and had been for a few weeks. Clearly, they had a lot to talk about. And talk they did, into the evening and late into the night. Bucky wanted to know how Lauren had ended up at Stark Industries, how the people in Greenwood were doing, what happened to the market, how were her dogs? He even asked about Liz.

 

\-------- What he couldn't tell her was that he had 'checked up' on her a couple of times during that first year after he left. He found the number to the Morning Café, and after arguing with himself for two days he dialed the number.

"Morning Café, this is Alice"

"Hello Alice. Do you know who this is?"

After a short pause, Alice answered, "Yes. I believe I do."

"I... I just need to know, is she ok?"

Alice looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear her conversation. "Yes, sweetie, she is getting along fine. Because that's who she is. But she misses you, a lot. Why don't you call her and let her know how YOU are?"

"No! No, I can't do that. And you have to promise me you won't tell her I called. Please."

"But sweetie..."

"No. Promise me you won't say anything. It's really the best thing for all of us."

Alice wished that Bucky was standing next to her so she could try to talk some sense into him. Instead, she said, "I promise."

"Thanks Alice." And with that Bucky hung up. He called back several months later and Alice pleaded with him to contact Lauren, threatening that she was going to have to tell her that she knew Bucky was ok. After another discussion about how dangerous it might be, Alice promised again that she wouldn't tell Lauren anything, and Bucky never called back.-------

 

Lauren was full of questions for Bucky, wanting to know where he had travelled to, how he had managed to stay hidden for so long, what he did to survive. And, of course that 'science' loving side of her brain had to know what it was like to be put back into cryo, this time without all the memory wipes and pain. When she got around to asking him why he hadn't contacted her when he got back from Wakanda, he looked down and shook his head. "I, I don't know. I guess I thought you would be better off if I just stayed out of your life..." She squinted her eyes at him and declared, "Well that's just stupid." He nodded in agreement and said "I know." After a brief hesitation she casually asked him "So, how many hearts did you break?" He looked at her like she was speaking some language he was unfamiliar with and she said, "You know... any girlfriends?"

Bucky took time to carefully consider his answer.

 

\---------At first, the only thing on his mind had been how to avoid being found and managing to survive from day to day. After his last conversation with Alice, he convinced himself that he needed to stop thinking about Lauren. And, being a man, he decided being with another woman, other women, would be the answer. After a couple of easy pick-ups, he met Bobbi. She was tall and lean with jet black hair and was about as much the opposite of Lauren that any woman could be. She wasn't cheap, but he made enough driving a delivery truck that he became one of her regulars, calling on her several times a month. After his first few visits, Bobbi was quite taken with Bucky and told him he didn't need to pay her anymore. She enjoyed spending time with him. Bucky insisted. When she pouted, he told her, "This is not a relationship. Don't confuse what we have as anything other than what it is. I like you. I enjoy our 'dates'. But that's all it is." When Bucky left that night, he figured that Bobbi would not be taking any more of his calls, but she did.

A few months later, in the dead of night, Bucky sat straight up in bed, breathing hard, sweat trickling down his face, with Lauren's name on his lips. The moon was streaming through the window, sweeping over the table and chair that sat across the room. Bobbi sat there, fully dressed, puffing on a cigarette, staring at him. Bucky frowned at her. He had forgotten that he brought her home that night. Finally, he asked gruffly, "What?" His head hurt and he didn't want her there.

She looked out the window for a moment, then back at Bucky. She shook her head saying, "Doll, I don't know who Lauren is. But clearly she means a lot to you. You have called ME Lauren on several occasions, and even in my profession, I have my pride." Bucky just stared at her. "Look. Whatever issues the two of you are having, you need to work things out. There is no doubt in my mind that no other woman is ever going to make you happy." Crushing her cigarette out in the ashtray, she walked over to the bed, bent down and kissed Bucky on the mouth and said, "Don't call me again."--------

 

 

He couldn't lie to Lauren. Finally he said, "Nn-no. Not like you are thinking. No one special."

She studied his face and it suddenly dawned on her what he meant. "Oh...oh. Okay" Blushing and wishing she could crawl under the table she simply nodded and said, "Got it."

Since Lauren had started them down this track and piqued his interest, Bucky turned the tables on her, "How about you? Did you ever go out with the preacher or that new vet?"

Surprised that he actually remembered her conversation with Liz, she nodded, "Yep. I went out with both of them. The preacher, only one time. No spark there at all. And the vet? We actually hit it off really well, went out together quite a few times." Seeing Bucky's expression change, she finished, "Unfortunately for me, he was gay. Sooooo... you know. We were just friends who hung out." Smiling at him she shrugged and the mood lightened.

 

They spent a couple more hours getting reacquainted and rekindling the feelings that had been put on hold that night when Bucky had walked out her door. Eventually, the owner of the shop had to ask them to leave so he could close up. With an apology and a generous tip, Bucky thanked the man for his patience and walked Lauren out to the parking lot, hoping beyond hope that Steve had left the car for him so he could take her home. Thankfully, it was there and after punching in the lock code and getting settled into their seats, they headed back to the Stark compound. Lauren fiddled with the radio until she found an oldies station. She turned the volume up and put her window down, and as they sped along, the wind blew her hair up and back and all around. Bucky watched from the corner of his eye, thinking that it almost looked like angel wings fluttering around her....

"Oh, man..." That little voice that had been silent for so long, made an unwelcome comeback. "You are pathetic. Do you honestly think she has waited all this time just for you? Really? Come on dude." To his credit, Bucky was having none of it, slamming the door on that noise and grinning at Lauren, who was singing along with the radio and dancing in her seat, as he tapped the steering wheel in time with the music. For the first time in a very, very long time he felt really happy.

 

MUSIC CHOICE "JUMP" -- Van Halen  

 

When they reached her house, turned off the music and got out of the car, it seemed unnaturally quiet. It was almost is if the night itself was watching and waiting to see what would happen next. Bucky looked around the yard and noticed all the flower pots and wind chimes and he thought he could even see a couple of bird feeders over to the side. He smiled to himself, thinking "Yes, this feels right. This is a little piece of 'home' for Lauren." He understood why she chose to live here and not in the tower building. Lauren had been fumbling in her bag for her keys and when she pulled them out, Bucky took them from her and unlocked the door. It seemed odd that there were no dogs to greet them, but the same fate that had taken him from her had taken her fur-babies as well. He ushered her in, but he stood just inside the door. He asked her if everything looked ok as she flipped on the lights. She looked at him a little surprised to see that he hadn't come on into the house, but she was charmed by his 'old school' manners. Looking around the room, she nodded and gave him a thumbs up. Lauren moved to stand in front of him and Bucky took her hands in his. They stood there looking at each other, their eyes speaking volumes. If the roof had fallen in on them at that moment, neither of them would have noticed.

Finally though, Lauren asked almost shyly, "Do you want to come in?"

Closing his eyes and scrunching his nose, Bucky said, "No." Then shaking his head, he pulled her closer, put his hands on her waist speaking softly, "That's a lie. Yes, of course I want to. But I'm not going to. Not yet." Seeing the confusion on her face he continued, "First, I'm going take you out, someplace nice. I'm going to wine you... and dine you... and dance with you under the stars. And then, I'm going to bring you home and seduce you, all... night... long."

He moved one hand to the back of her head and after kissing her soundly he winked and said, "That's a promise. After all, we still have that unfinished business to take care of. " Lauren was nearly speechless as he added, "Good night Lauren Mitchell. "

She squeaked out "Good night Bucky Barnes." He was smiling and saluted as he pulled the door shut. After he had gone, Lauren whispered "Wow", smiled at the room, and practically floated down the hall to her bedroom where she slept peacefully through the night, still smiling when she awoke the next morning.

 

Two nights later, they had their first 'real' date. It was perfect. Lauren only had one 'nice' dress and thankfully, it still fit. It was sleeveless and much shorter than she would normally have chosen, but Liz had been with her when she bought it and promised her it looked awesome. It was a rich red color, with tiny sequins that sparkled when moved, hugging her body in a seductive way. Wanda had stopped by to help her get her hair pinned up, leaving a few teasing curls free to fall where they would. Strappy high heels and a silver bracelet and clutch bag completed the outfit. Bucky sought out Sam's opinion on what to wear. He had bought a few things when he moved to the compound. Sam looked in his closet and shook his head. Finally he pulled out an all black ensemble and demanded that Bucky try it on so he could see how it all came together. Satisfied with the look, he nodded and said, "She won't be able to resist you." They bumped fists and Sam left to let Bucky finish by pulling his hair back and securing it with a black band.

With a little help from Tony, Bucky had managed to get reservations at a delightful little restaurant that was all the rage with the "in crowd". Yes, it had very good food and the service was beyond reproach, but mostly it was because of the view. It was situated on the side of a hill, overlooking a large lake below. There were tiny lights positioned around the perimeter of the lake for as far as you could see, and reflecting off the water, they made a twinkling, almost magical display. There was also a large patio that offered music and plenty of room to dance and enjoy the night sky. Lauren was completely captivated by it all and as they stepped onto the dance floor, she looked at the lake, then up at the stars and couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. "Bucky! It's amazing!" Shaking his head he said, "No. You are amazing. That dress is... ummf!" He leaned closer to her and said, "Is it wrong that I can't wait to take it off of you." Having had a little more to drink than she was accustomed to, Lauren giggled again and answered, "No. In fact, I'm looking forward to it."

Bucky was true to his word. It was a very nice place. They drank wine, and dined on a scrumptious meal. They danced under the stars... When they arrived back at Lauren's house and Bucky pushed the door open, she suddenly got very quiet. They stepped inside and Lauren turned to Bucky putting her hands on his chest, she fussed with his tie, and finally looking into his eyes, she confessed, "I'm really nervous right now." Bucky gave her a tender smile, and lowered his head to whisper in her ear, "Don't tell anybody, but so am I." Which, of course, was exactly what Lauren needed to hear. He closed the door, pulled her into his arms, and then, once again, he was true to his words. Every last one of them...

In the days and weeks that followed, to the amusement of a few of the Avengers who honestly believed that Bucky didn't like women, the pair managed to find time to be together nearly every day. It was only a few weeks before Bucky was spending more nights at Lauren's bungalow than at his own apartment in Tower II. No one was surprised when he moved in with her. -----------

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Lauren rolled over on top of Bucky, her legs straddling him as she put one hand on each of his shoulders, her breasts pointing at him, nipples peeking out from between strands of her long blonde hair in a most enticing way. He heard her say "Hey... eyes. Eyes up here."

Bucky looked up to see her smiling at him sweetly. She looked really tired, but before he could ask her if she had been sleeping any better, she said, "Let's go for a walk. It's a perfect night" He rolled his eyes in an exaggerated way, saying "Baby. It's late. It's DARK. I'm an old man and I'm tired."

Pressing her lips together and squinting at him she shook her head. They both knew that the Winter Soldier Serum allowed him to see perfectly well in the dark and that he could function at 100% with very little rest. Lauren leaned in closer and kissed him on the nose. "Pretty please??" she asked, putting on her prettiest pout and batting her lashes at him.

Powerless to resist, he groaned "OK, a short walk. But you have to promise you will try to get some sleep after."

With a huge grin she said "OK! I'll meet you on the porch", as she darted down the hall to collect her clothes from the floor.

Bucky got up and walked into the bathroom, flipping on the light. He peered into the mirror and wondered for the 1,000th time what Lauren saw in him. He supposed that he wasn't exactly ugly, and yes, he had been popular with the women back in the 40's but he didn't even know that person, the person he used to be, anymore. Everything was so different now. A lot of the women today were, well, really something else. Something he didn't exactly understand. What the hell was a Kardashian anyway? When he had asked Lauren that question she had laughed hysterically and answered that she didn't really know, but she DID know that there was absolutely nothing real about 'reality tv', at least not as far as she could see. Bucky had honestly been relieved to hear that.

He splashed water on his face and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back behind his ears. He wasn't sure why he kept it long, other than the fact that Lauren seemed to like it, so that was a good enough excuse for now. He grabbed a clean shirt out of the drawer, pulled on his jeans and shoes and headed down the hall to join her outside. Bucky opened the door and stepped out to see Lauren sitting on the porch with her feet on the top stair. Her attention seemed fixed on something beyond the fence. As she heard him approaching, she raised her arm, her hand in a fist, just like she had seen soldiers do in a hundred action movies. Instinctively, Bucky froze. She turned her head slowly toward him, gave him the sign to look, and pointed in the direction of the open lot to the east of thier place.

Bucky took two big steps to stand right behind her, then he looked... he listened... he waited to detect something out of the ordinary. Nothing. After a few more minutes, Lauren sighed and reached up so he could grab her hand and pull her up. His eyes searched hers until he finally asked, "Ready for that walk now?"

She looked back out into the night and shook her head, saying "I changed my mind. Let's go inside."

Taking her face in his hands Bucky asked, "What is it? Are you afraid someone is out here? I'll go take a look or we can call security..."

Lauren cut him off, "No. It's probably nothing. I'm sure it's nothing. I'm just tired. And I actually think I will be able to sleep tonight." Looking at him playfully she added, "Or maybe not."

Bucky raised his eyebrows and taking one last look around the yard and the empty field that was on the other side of their fence, he ushered her into the house. Once inside, Lauren began the ritual of checking the doors and windows to make sure they were locked, especially the back door where Bucky had made his "surprise" entrance earlier. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and said, "I'm going to take a quick shower."

Bucky, who was walking around checking the same doors and windows that Lauren just had, called out, "OK. I'll, be there in a minute." He waited until he heard the water running in the shower, then grabbed his cell phone and called Steve.

"Hey Buck, what's up?"

"Hey man, sorry to bother you and it may be nothing, but Lauren was sitting on the porch earlier and something really spooked her. I don't know what it was, and I wouldn't even mention it, but I don't want to take any chances."

"You didn't see anything?"

"No."

"Okay... I'll give security a heads up and... yeah... I'll take a look around, just to see what I can see."

"Thanks Steve. I really appreciate it"

"No problem Buck. You two have a good night."

"You too man. Good night."

Moving to the window, Bucky looked out into the darkness. Something was not right. He couldn't put a finger on it, but he felt it in his bones. Lauren had been acting a little 'off' lately, and he couldn't figure out why. Things had been so perfect when she had suggested that he move in with her. But just lately, he felt like there was a hammer poised over his head and that it was ready to drop at any moment. He didn't want to borrow trouble or make a mountain out of a mole hill or any of those other platitudes, but he had to figure it out, before things got out of hand. His therapist had told him that this feeling was pretty common. Often, when a person finds someone or something that makes them happy, they start to worry about losing that person or thing. In Bucky's case, there was the additional burden of an overwhelming sense of not deserving the good things, because of all the bad things he had done in the past. As he had tried to tell Steve, it didn't matter WHY he had done those things, he had done them. And now this... whatever it was.

Wiping the worry from his face, Bucky walked into the bedroom. Lauren was sitting on the edge of the bed, drying her hair with a towel. She smiled at him and said, "I left you plenty of hot water."

Giving her shocked look, he asked, "Are you saying that I stink?"

She giggled. "No, of course not. I'm just saying that you smell really, really manly. Or maybe like a grizzly bear... that's all."

Bucky stripped his clothes off and headed to the shower. "Well, I better clean up. I have no intention of hibernating."

Just a few minutes later, he returned to find the bed straightened up and Lauren curled up on it. Bucky put his hand on her hip and spoke softly. "Lauren?" She looked up at him, her eyes filled with ...something. He couldn't even guess, and she wasn't talking. "Baby, are you okay? You seem pretty stressed."

Lauren sat up then and threw the covers back, patting the spot next to her, saying "I'm okay. I just need you to hold me for a while... do you mind?"

Bucky lay back on the bed then, arms open wide and she snuggled up next to him, throwing an arm and leg over him, resting her head on his shoulder. He pulled her in even closer and kissed her on the forehead. With a soft sigh of contentment, Lauren soon drifted off to sleep. Bucky lay there for a while, listening to her breathe, wondering what was really going on, determined that he would make it right, no matter what it took.

 

MUSIC CHOICE  "Straight From the Heart" -- Bryan Adams  

 

Morning came and Bucky awoke slowly, doing a full body stretch before he even opened his eyes. When he did open them, Lauren was lying there wide awake, staring at him. He blinked a couple of times, waiting to hear what was on her mind.

"Bucky, do you love me?"

Taken by surprise, Bucky opened his mouth then snapped it shut again. Well, this was new. Not sure where the conversation was headed, he warily asked "What?" He reached out to touch her face and Lauren took his hand in hers as she sat up, asking him again, "Do you love me? Sitting up next to her, he replied "Wow. I must be doing something really wrong if you haven't noticed that I am crazy about you."

Lauren tilted her head and said, "I'm not talking about sex. Sex is great, amazing even, but do you LOVE me?"

"Lauren, you know I do. You HAVE to know that. What is this really about?"

She studied his face for a moment, shook her head then answered softly, "Never mind."

She started to get out of bed, but Bucky stopped her. "If I don't say it often enough, I'm really sorry. I... sometimes this, it's hard for me. I somehow remember being much better at things 70 years ago."

"Bucky, it's okay, really. I've just been feeling a little anxious the past couple of days. Maybe even a LOT anxious. It's not your fault."

Shaking his head, Bucky said "But it IS my fault if you don't know in your heart how I feel about you. If you don't KNOW that I love you. Because I..."

"Bucky stop. I'm sorry. I know that you love me. I didn't mean to do this, to upset you."

Taking a deep breath before he answered, Bucky said "I'm not upset Lauren, not with you. But I know that something is really bothering you... and has been for a while now. Have I done something stupid? Just tell me, please."

"Bucky, it's not you... I promise. Look, you know I haven't been sleeping well and I'm tired all the time. I've been working on this project for Mr. Stark and I'm stuck. I can't get the numbers to add up and it's starting to really piss me off. I've been fighting this bug that won't go away... And, well, I wasn't going to say anything, but I've been having issues with someone at the lab."

"What?" Bucky couldn't even imagine Lauren having problems with a co-worker.

She told him "Yeah, there is this sort of new guy. He started work a couple of days after me, so that makes him new, right? Anyway, he just rubs me the wrong way."

"What do you mean?" Bucky could feel himself tensing up at the mere thought of some punk messing with her. "What does he do..?"

"Well, he thinks he knows everything about everything. Not that he isn't absolutely brilliant, because he is. It's just that he doesn't document his procedures correctly and he takes all kinds of short cuts then expects everybody else to fill in the blanks for him. And by everybody else I mean me, because I can at least follow what he is trying to do. He's NOT a team player... it's like he has his own agenda... He's as rude as hell, and I think he honestly believes he is God's gift to women... and he... well, he gives me the creeps!!"

Bucky tried not to laugh at her tirade as he asked, "He gives you the creeps? How so? Has he been... fresh with you?"

Lauren looked sideways at him and grinned. "Fresh?" She laughed, "Oh Bucky, you are so cute!!" He rolled his eyes and sighed. "You know what I mean." "Yes, I do. And no, not exactly. Sometimes he stands way too close and lingers too long, and, oh I don't know... he just bugs me."

"Okay. So tell Stark about it."

"No!! Bucky I can't do that! Jordon worked just as had to get this opportunity at Stark Industries as I did. I don't want to be the one to ruin that for him."

Bucky pulled her over so that she was sitting on his lap, facing him as he leaned back against the head board. She could feel his body responding to her nearness and gave him a knowing smile. His face was serious as he told her "The point is, you worked hard to get here too, and you don't have to put up with this jerk. Don't question your gut. If the guy seems off to you, he probably is."

Lauren knew that Bucky was right. She also knew that he had other things on his mind, so she leaned in and promised, "I'll think about it." She pushed his hair back and nibbled on his ear playfully. Bucky kissed her and soon found that she was as ready for him as he was for her. He started to get lower in bed, but she stopped him, then planting her knees on either side of him she guided his throbbing hardness into her body with excruciating slowness, causing Bucky to groan in anticipation, and then growl with desire. She moved above him with slow, purposeful strokes that prolonged the delicious agony while setting him on fire for her. He held her breasts licking and teasing them as Lauren continued her sensual ride. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and in one smooth, determined move he rolled her over and finished the job from behind, pounding into her with such intensity that Lauren cried out just as Bucky finished. He immediately rolled her over see if she was okay, afraid that he had hurt her.

"Shit! Baby, are you okay?"

Lauren, breathing hard, blushed and said, "yes! Oh my god, yes!!"

Bucky dropped his head in relief then started laughing. Lauren accused him in a pouty voice, "Proud of yourself, aren't you?"

Shaking his head, Bucky kissed her and said, "No. I'm proud of you..always!"

They lay side by side then, holding hands, enjoying the afterglow. Their peaceful moment was soon disturbed by the buzz of Bucky's phone and a knock at the door. He sighed and said "OK. OK. It's Steve. I better go see what he needs. Pulling on his jeans and a t-shirt, he went to let Steve in, leaving Lauren to freshen up and join them whenever she was ready.

Opening the door Bucky smiled and said "Come on in." Steve, looking like a sharp dressed male model, took in Bucky's rumpled appearance and stepped inside. He looked around for Lauren then at Bucky questioningly. "She's getting dressed. Did you find anything last night?"

Speaking quietly, Steve answered "No. And then again, yes. There was nothing on any of the surveillance cameras, but there was a glitch that so far can't be explained."

"What kind of glitch?"

"Intermittent pauses."

"On which camera?

"... all of them."

Bucky looked at Steve in total disbelief. "How does THAT happen?"

"I don't know pal, but trust me, Stark will figure it out."

Bucky gave Steve a knowing look and said, "Seems like maybe Lauren was right to be on edge. "

"Yeah, man, I've already asked Stark to put some extra security around your place. Just in case."

Bucky nodded his agreement and just then, Lauren stepped into the kitchen saying "Good morning Captain Rogers" giving him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. Holding her at arm's length, Steve smiled and replied, "Good morning beautiful. How are you today?" Glancing at Bucky who still looked like he had just been for a wild ride in the hay and was grinning wickedly, Lauren couldn't stop the blush that spread across her face as she answered, "Good. I'm good."

Pretending not to notice the looks that passed between them, Steve swallowed hard and said, "Great! I'm glad to hear that. Listen, I need to borrow Buck for a couple of hours. I hope that's ok with you?"

Pretending to think about it, Lauren nodded and told him, "I guess I can survive for a few hours on my own. But DO try to keep him out of trouble, 'k?"

Bucky snorted saying "Uh, I'm standing right here." Lauren laughed and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. "I have that project to work on. The lab should be quiet on a Saturday morning, so maybe I'll make some progress. You guys take your time and be safe, alright?"

Bucky grabbed her and kissed her, a deeply passionate kiss that left her wanting more. "Don't work too hard." Looking at Steve he asked, "A few hours?" Steve nodded and said, "If everything goes smoothly."

"Alright then, let me get my gear and we'll get the show on the road."

Lauren grabbed her bag and said, "Okay you guys. I'm off to the lab. See you later."

"Bye" the two men said in unison. Bucky headed to the bedroom to finish dressing and Steve stepped out onto the porch to watch Lauren as she hopped in her car and headed to the Lab.

 

Lauren entered the building using her key card and security number for the alarm. For a moment, she thought that it wasn't going to work, but finally it clicked and she stepped inside, making a mental note to tell maintenance about the delay with the door lock. Rounding the corner to her work station, she was disappointed to find Jordon, the" new guy", was also in the lab.

"Good morning Lauren" he offered with a smile.

"Hi Jordon. I didn't expect to find you here today." She really TRIED to not sound unhappy about it.

"Oh, I just had a few numbers to run. I'll be out of your way shortly."

"No problem. Take, your time..." Lauren quickly turned to get busy with her own work. About 45 minutes later Jordon startled her as she stood up, turned to grab a book from the shelf and ran right into him. "Oh my gosh!," she yelped. "Jordon, you scared the shit out of me! I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." She wanted to add 'lurking behind me' but thought better of it. He grinned at her in a way that made her feel very uncomfortable.

"My fault," he said, and as usual, he was standing much closer than seemed appropriate. Lauren could feel his hot breath on her face as he spoke, "I got a whiff of your perfume earlier. It's very enticing."

"Oh..." Lauren was at a loss for words. She didn't like him being so near or so familiar. The perfume she wore was a gift from Bucky, her favorite scent, Allure. She was not about to share that information with Jordon. So she just offered a short "thanks" and grabbed her phone, pretending to check her messages. "Oh crap!!" she said aloud.

"Problem?" Jordon asked as he still hovered in her space. "

Yes. I forgot I was supposed to meet up with Wanda... like 10 minutes ago. I've been so forgetful lately. I really didn't feel much like working today anyway. I guess I'll go now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend." She was grabbing her purse and keys as she talked and was half way through the door as she spoke the last words. Lauren could not wait to get as far away from the man as she could.

Jordon didn't answer her. In fact, he didn't believe her story of having other plans. He frowned and walked back to his own work, wondering how much she knew, or if she suspected anything at all...

 

A few miles away, Steve and Bucky were wrapping up their simple mission. It wasn't exactly the sort of thing that the Avengers were normally called on for help, but because it involved cyber-crime, Tony was very interested in how it had been carried off. The guy that they were after was not exactly a prime specimen of manhood and was stopped in his tracks before he knew what hit him. He and his partner had developed a major programming scam, buying and selling information and technology. They had managed to acquire several million dollars and felt like they were untouchable. They hadn't considered that Tony Stark and the Avengers would ever get involved in anything so mundane. They were wrong. The man was so terrified of "the Winter Soldier" that Bucky almost laughed out loud, but managed to keep a straight face while Steve explained to him that his luck had run out and that his accomplice was already locked up in the nearby jail. The local police arrived and took the prisoner into custody, thanking Steve and warily acknowledging Bucky.

On the way back to the Stark compound, Steve asked his old friend, "So, Buck, you and Lauren, it seems like you have adjusted pretty well to your new living arrangements. Everything good there?"

Bucky had moved in with Lauren about six weeks earlier, a little less than 3 months after their reunion. He hadn't been surprised by how quickly things had happened, but he knew that his therapist, Steve, and even Stark, thought that maybe he was using her as some sort of life line... a crutch of sorts, but that wasn't the case. They didn't understand that he had fallen for her in a big way when they had met three years previous. And even though he and Lauren were having some communication problems at the moment, they loved each other and they were good together on so many levels. He would not accept the possibility that the same fate which had brought them together twice now would tear them apart again. He hoped the others would see that sooner or later, because he had no intention of ever letting her go again.

He turned to look at Steve and answered, "Yeah man, everything is good. Really good."

Steve nodded, "Glad to hear it. And I'm glad you have Lauren, I really am. It's easy to see how happy she makes you. And of course you know that you can always talk to me, count on me to help you any way I can."

Bucky smiled, "I know that Steve... I know." Then he added, "I'm sorry things have been so different between us. I know you were probably thinking that it would be more like it was, back in the day."

"No Buck. Times are different now. People are different. You went through so much while I basically, just slept all those years. Everything that happened to you had to change you too. I understand that. It's really ok. I'm just happy to have you back in my life, punk."

Bucky smiled at him and said "Jerk". The two friends bumped fists and laughed. Steve turned on the radio and the rest of the trip home, in between their attempts to decipher the current music, they shared stories of the past and the present, each filling in the blanks for the other when needed. The bullshit was quite deep... and the laughter was warm and genuine.

 

Instead of going back home when she left the lab, Lauren had gone to the Stark tower building. Built after the incident in Washington, as a second home for the Avengers and Stark projects, it was far less foreboding than the original Tower I in New York. It was simple, yet elegant in its construction, occupied by several floors of offices, a full sized cafeteria, half a dozen conference rooms, a fully equipped gym, library, shops, media room and an on call doctors office, topped off by the upper 4 floors of spacious living quarters. Tony, Wanda and Vision lived there full time. The other Avengers had their own quarters available any time they needed or just wanted to stay there. And of course there were a couple dozen private "bungalows" spread here and there around the compound in groups of three, one of which Lauren shared with Bucky. The lab where Lauren spent most of her time was in a separate building from the Tower and was one of 3 labs on the grounds. To anyone on the 'outside' of the Stark compound, it would most likely appear to be a cult of some kind, but in truth it was more like a giant family, mostly.

In fact, Lauren had grown close to several of her co-workers and oddly enough, she and Wanda had quickly become good friends. The two of them worked out together in the gym and spent a good deal of time shopping, talking, and laughing, a lot. Of course, Lauren was in awe of Wanda's abilities and had a thousand questions about how it worked, how it felt, how she got the power in the first place... and on and on. For her part, Wanda loved having a 'girlfriend' to hang out with and having that friend had actually unleashed a lot of her inhibitions. Natasha was a different story. When Bucky had introduced them to each other, Lauren sensed immediately there was some kind of history between the red head and Bucky. When she asked Bucky about, it, he told her it was a very long time ago and one of those memories that felt more like something he had read about than something he had actually experienced. Lauren accepted his answer, but felt certain that she and Natasha would never be really close. However, she made the effort, always including Nat in her little group of friends. Natasha, in her own way, was very fond of Lauren. She was happy for Bucky, that he had found someone he could love.

As for the rest of the Avengers, they had taken her under their wings like a long lost child. She had access to their "private" common areas, was included in everything that they did, other than actual missions, and was the center of attention far more often than she wanted to be. Thor in particular, was always teasing her, making her laugh loudly or blush deeply. He knew that Bucky didn't like it much, and that made it even more fun for him. He believed that the Soldier of Winter needed to learn to enjoy life more. Clint was like a big brother. He looked out for her whenever Bucky was not around and Lauren really enjoyed his down to earth ways. He even agreed to give her some archery lessons and was impressed how quickly she got the hang of it. Vision was extremely nice and she really liked him, even though he kind of scared her. In truth, all of them were very friendly and made her feel welcome immediately.

When Steve and Bucky arrived back at the tower, Steve headed straight to Tony's office to drop off their mission report and Bucky went to the lounge area where he found Lauren, Wanda and Nat in deep conversation. He didn't want to interrupt them, but something told him that this wasn't just 'girl talk' and he decided to join them. Walking up behind Lauren, he put his hands on her shoulders, leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Hey doll". She reached up and put her hand on his, pulling him closer for a quick kiss, then asked, "Back already?" Bucky laughed and told the three of them about the mission and how easy it had been to take care of. Then he looked at Lauren and said, "I guess your science project worked out well? I didn't really expect to see you out of the lab so soon."

Wanda and Nat glanced at each other and then at Bucky and both started talking at once about having something to do, somewhere else. They each gave Lauren a hug goodbye and left the couple alone. Bucky sat down across from her and asked, "Was it something I said?" She looked at him then bit her bottom lip, but said nothing. He smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Lauren, this would be so much easier if you would just tell me what is going on." She answered without looking him in the eye, "I don't know what you mean." Shaking his head Bucky tried again. "OK, let's try this. Did something happen at the lab?" She didn't answer, which Bucky assumed meant that something had. "Lauren?" he asked again. She just looked at him and shook her head no. "You are a terrible liar, even when you don't say a word. " Lauren looked like she was going to say something then, like she WANTED to say something, but couldn't find the words. Bucky stood and went to her, pulling her up into his arms. "Baby, what is it?" They were in a fairly secluded corner of the room, but Lauren didn't want to talk there and asked him if they could go home. "Of course we can." Bucky took her hand and they walked down the hall, passing a few others along the way. The one person they did not notice hidden in a dark corner, was Jordon, who had been watching them in the lounge, and now seethed with jealous anger and resentment as he watched Bucky put his hand on the small of Lauren's back, guiding her around a small group gathered near the exit. Jordon snorted, "Just you wait Winter Soldier. Just you wait."

 

When Lauren and Bucky reached the bungalow, they decided to sit on the porch swing a while before going inside. She knew she had to say something, so she told him about Jordon being at the lab and how he had freaked her out so badly that she had just left without accomplishing anything. Bucky didn't say anything for a minute, but the set of his jaw clearly showed his displeasure. When he spoke, he was careful to not sound angry. He didn't want Lauren to think that he blamed her in any way. "Okay – so now we tell Stark... No argument. I won't have you feeling threatened or uneasy every time the guy is in the room with you. We tell Stark and let him handle it, or I will handle it.

Lauren sighed and answered, "Okay Bucky. I'll tell him the next time I see him."

Bucky shook his head, "No. We find him and discuss it now. I want this taken care of." He was pulling out his phone as he spoke and pulled up Stark's number as he asked her, "Do you want to talk to him or do you want me to?" She could tell there was no sense in arguing with him. She had never seen him so determined and she knew it was because he was concerned for her safety. Before Bucky had moved in with her, even before he had started sleeping over at her place, he sat her down and talked with her about the people who had controlled his life for so many years. He explained that Hydra had been broken by SHIELD and the Avengers, but that they were still out there and that someday they could decide to come looking for him, their "asset". To them, he was nothing more than property and they would not hesitate to dispose of anyone or anything that got in their way. She knew that he wasn't afraid for himself, but rather, he wanted her to know that just being a part of his life could be dangerous. Lauren had listened carefully and asked a few questions, but in the end, all that mattered to her was being with Bucky. She refused to allow the fear of something that may never even happen dictate the way she lived her life. Bucky had been relieved to hear her say that, believing that in the long run, she would be safer at the Stark compound, with the Avengers and himself by her side, than she would be any place else.

She reached to take the phone from Bucky and they were both surprised by a car turning into their driveway and screeching to a halt. With his usual flourish, Tony Stark stepped out, joined them on the porch and said "Hey kids! How are we doing?"

Bucky nodded and shaking his hand said "Hey Tony."

As he gave her a quick hug, Lauren said "Hello Mr. Stark."

Tony sighed and smiled at her saying "Lauren, I have asked you repeatedly to call me Tony. We are all friends here. And you, you are family."

She smiled and said "Thank you Tony. What brings you here?"

He looked at Bucky, then pointed at Lauren saying, "Direct. That's one of the reasons I hired you Lauren. There is no deceit in you. I know that I can trust you. And you can trust me. You know that, right?"

She nodded at Tony and said softly, "Of course." She carefully avoided looking directly at Bucky. She had been keeping things from him and it was breaking her heart to think that he probably felt that she didn't trust him enough to talk to him.

"Okay then" Tony began, "First of all, Miss Lauren, you are no longer a 'probie'. You will be getting lab space with an office of your own and of course adequate compensation."

"What?? I , uh... thank you Mr... Tony. But are you sure? I mean, I haven't even been able to complete the project you gave me when I first came to work here. I've run thousands of calculations and I have been SO close, but I just can't seem to come up with the results we need."

Tony held up his hand and said, "Of course not. I purposely gave you an impossible task. No one has ever solved it. Not even me. So obviously it can't be done."

Lauren's mouth dropped in disbelief... "I don't understand. Why would you do that?"

"Because, what really matters to me, is the way you handled the frustration factor. You kept at it. You never complained. You never gave up. That's what I want from my employees."

Bucky gave Lauren a sideways grin, shrugging his shoulders while she could only shake her head.

Tony continued, "Next – I want to talk to you about Jordon Kane." Lauren couldn't stop her surprised gasp. She turned to looked at Bucky, wondering if he had known that Tony was coming. He honestly seemed as surprised as she was. "I understand that he has been less than professional, in particular in his dealings with you. No, don't look at Bucky, he's not the one who told me. Several of your co-workers have noticed and were concerned about it. I have had a one on one with him and he assures me that he means you no disrespect. The man has a remarkable mind and I would hate to lose him. Hopefully he got the message and will be more of a gentleman in the future."

Bucky shook his head. Tony looked at him then at Lauren and back at Barnes. "What? Did something else happen?" Lauren nodded at Bucky, then turned to talk to Tony. "I don't know when you spoke to him... but this morning he was pretty much the same as ever, if not worse."

Tony's expression of disbelief was almost comical. "He ... what... I spoke with him two days ago and you are telling me he was still, intrusive today?" Lauren nodded and Tony could see the anger on Bucky's face. "Okay then. I will put him on disciplinary probation for a couple of weeks, without pay. If that doesn't settle him down, I'll fire him. That simple."

Bucky leaned his head back and sighed. He didn't think that was enough, but he didn't want to worry Lauren, so he nodded at Stark and said, "Two weeks."

Taking her hand Tony told Lauren, "You should have come to me. I need you to promise me that you will never, ever, let anyone harass you in any way without letting me know about it." Lauren nodded and said "I promise." "Good," Tony gave her a quick hug, said his goodbyes and disappeared just as quickly as he had come.

The couple sat together on the swing for quite a while afterwards, neither of them saying much, the gap between them growing wider.

 

The next day, while Lauren was out with Wanda for some shopping and a "chick-flick", Bucky met up with Hawkeye in the Tower Lounge. The two of them had become pretty tight and shared a mutual respect for each other and a common concern for Lauren's happiness. Bucky was at a complete loss as to how to deal with the current situation. He knew that Lauren and Clint had their own special friendship and he figured since the man had a wife and kids, he might have some ideas.

Taking the beer that Bucky offered, Clint sighed, "Women..pffft" He smiled at Bucky and rolled his shoulders. "First things first. You need to understand that if she had come to me in confidence, I would not be talking to you right now." Bucky nodded. "Having said that, all I can do is speculate. My first guess would be that, for whatever reason, and you may never know for sure what the reason is, she may be feeling insecure and needs your reassurance that things are good. That you are happy, because trust me, that is what she thinks her job is...to make you happy"

Bucky looked mystified and Clint shook his head. "It's a woman thing. Don't even ask me why they go there. And of course, she probably wonders if she did the right thing coming here. I mean, think about it. She left her home, everybody and everything she knew, travelled half way across the country and started working for Tony Stark. We're talking Tony Stark, okay. How scary is that? Then, to top it off, she finds out that YOU are here, a man that she obviously had some pretty strong feelings for. And apparently, you had no intention of contacting her. How would you feel?"

Bucky put his hands on either side of his face, squeezed his head then ran his fingers through his hair. "So, what do I do?"

Clint raised his eyebrows and said "Be patient and don't give up. Always remember why you fell in love with Lauren in the first place and to try to be the man that she fell in love with." It made sense, but it also made Bucky crazy. He didn't know what more he could do to show her he loved her and that he couldn't imagine a time when he wouldn't want to be with her. Hawkeye was a really smart guy. He thought he knew what it would take to put Lauren at ease, but he also knew that it wasn't his place to suggest it. Bucky had to come to this conclusion on his own. Hopefully, he would figure it out sooner rather than later.

The following week, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Bucky was slouched on the couch watching a baseball game and playing with their newly adopted dog, Spencer. Lauren sat curled up in an overstuffed chair with a well worn book on her lap. Bucky had noticed that she wasn't really reading – she hadn't turned a page in over 30 minutes.. He was at the end of his rope. Jordon had continued to be a nuisance and as promised, Stark had fired him, advising security that he was not to be allowed anywhere on the grounds. Bucky had hoped that putting the whole Jordon issue behind them (even though he had a bad feeling that they hadn't seen the last of Jordon Kane) would help Lauren get over her funk. It hadn't helped much. In fact, things were just as strained as ever. Clearly, that had never really been the issue. He'd had enough and was trying to think of what he could say to get through to her when all at once, she closed her book, stood and joined him on the couch. She turned off the television, took a deep breath then exhaled slowly before saying, "Bucky... I need to talk to you about something."

He froze. For some reason, now that it appeared that Lauren was finally ready to open up, Bucky was afraid that she was going to tell him something he really didn't want to hear. What if she had grown tired of him? What if she wanted him to move out? What if there was someone else? She seemed especially fond of Thor... How could he live without her? He almost jumped when she touched him. Taking his left hand in hers, she looked down and played with his fingers, rubbing them almost like a talisman, and then she began...

"You know, when you left Greenwood, at first, I thought I would be okay. I really did. But of course, I was wrong. I was so worried about you and I knew that I wouldn't be hearing from you for a long time, maybe even never again. I missed you terribly. I thought about you all the time. After a few months, it dawned on me that since you had gone, I had barely given Zack a thought. YOU did that. At first that realization made me feel incredibly guilty and ashamed of myself. Then it occurred to me that I had in fact, decided to "move on", just like you told me I would. Only you weren't there to move on with... I must have wished a thousand times that I hadn't stopped you that night in the kitchen..."   Bucky made a noise deep in his throat and said, "Yeah, me too."  Lauren continued, "So anyway, I knew that I had to do something with my life besides sitting around moping over you. I needed to do something, worthwhile. And I knew what you would tell me. That's the real reason I took those refresher courses and applied for the job at Stark Industries. I did it for you Bucky, because if we ever did meet again, I wanted you to be proud of me."

Bucky couldn't say anything. The huge lump of emotion caught in his throat wouldn't let him, so he just squeezed her hand.

"So first, I want to apologize to you. I am so, so sorry that I have been acting like a total crazy woman. I know that I have been distant and secretive, avoiding talking with you about some things... I am truly sorry for that. I hope that you can forgive me. But I swear to you, it was never, ever my intention to hurt you, or make you feel like I didn't trust you. Bucky, I trust you with my life. And I love you MORE than life. I just had to be absolutely sure before I talked to you."

Bucky appeared relieved, but still looked a little confused. She studied his face and she could see his eyes reflecting the same love for her that she felt for him. She knew the time was right to tell him. Leaning in she kissed his mouth tenderly and whispered, "Bucky. I'm...pregnant..."

 

MUSIC CHOICE  "I Live My Life for You" -- Firehouse


	4. PART THREE  -- WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth is out, Bucky fits in, a mystery is afoot,

PART THREE – WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS

Tick...Tick... Tick...

The room was so quiet, the only sound she could hear was the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall. Lauren watched as every emotion known to man seemed to pass over Bucky's face, only to be replaced by another.

Tick... Tick... Tick...

"Oh dear God" she thought to herself. "He is so upset he can't even think of what to say."

Tick... Tick... Tick...

He was looking right at her, but it was like she wasn't even there. "c'mon Bucky..please, please say SOMETHING" her mind was desperately pleading.

Tick... Tic...

At last, Bucky's eyes focused on Lauren and he asked, "H-How did this happen? I mean, of course I know HOW it happened... I just... I thought... you told me you couldn't..."

Before she could open her mouth to reply, Bucky jumped up and laughed. "A baby? We're going to have a baby?" He actually looked happy. Lauren just nodded while Bucky continued, pacing the floor as pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place.

"This? This is what has been bothering you?" Again, before she could answer he went on "Of course. Of course! The crazy wild mood swings... the restlessness... the 'bug' that you haven't been able to shake... all the puking. Those whispered conversations with Nat and Wanda. And Stark! He knows, doesn't he? He called you 'family' and has actually been pretty nice to ME lately." Leaning his head back and closing his eyes he groaned loudly, "Oh my God!! My GOD!! I am so stupid!!"

Lauren thought Bucky looked like one of those little toys that you wind up and sit on the table top. It hops or walks or does whatever until it winds itself down. She patiently waited for him to wind down. Finally, he sat and looked at her, pulling her close and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. When he stopped for a breath, she asked him, "So, you aren't upset then?" 

Bucky gave her a curious look and said "No! Of course not! Why would I be? I'm relieved! I was so sure that I had messed things up somehow and that you were just waiting to kick my ass out." He studied her face then cautiously asked, "Lauren, you don't seem too excited. Is this not a good thing?"

Completely overwhelmed, Lauren fought back tears and tried to answer him in a way that would not trample all over his happiness. Pushing that constantly straying strand of hair out of his eyes, she said "Yes Bucky. I am happy. Very happy." She paused searching for the right words.

Bucky asked, "but...?"

With a weary sigh Lauren continued, "But... This shouldn't be happening. I mean, two different doctors, and three highly respected "specialists" told me that I would never be able to get pregnant. Ever. The whole time I was with... that I was married, we never did anything to NOT get pregnant. And now, all of a sudden, I am?"

"But you have seen a doctor here, right?"

Nodding she said "Yes. I took one of those home pregnancy tests, and when it showed positive I went that very day. I explained it all to the doctor, expecting her to tell me the test results were a mistake. But she assured me that I am, without a doubt, pregnant. Then I got scared"

Bucky frowned, "Scared? I don't understand. Why?" 

"Because, short of a miracle from God above, the only thing that made sense to me, the only thing different this time, is you. You and your super-soldier serum-modified DNA. I went to Steve to ask him what he knew about the serum and how it might affect a person that you were having... relations with." Bucky's mind was racing as Lauren continued, "He told me he didn't know enough about it to even venture a guess, and suggested we go to Tony, thinking that he should have access to his father's papers, including info on the original serum." 

Bucky shook his head saying "Wait. Stark? Steve? Natasha and Wanda? Did everybody know about this but me?" Shaking her head she ignored his question and went on. "Tony brought in another specialist, one who is fully familiar with the Stark experimental developments and in particular the serum. None of the information he had even mentioned the possibility of a child being a part of the picture. All he could say for certain is that this has to be considered a high risk pregnancy and that we need to monitor everything closely... and hope for the best."

The blissful fog was lifting and Bucky said, "Because, you, they think that somehow, it's the serum that helped you get pregnant. And because there is no way to know what it will do to the baby... or what the baby might do to you." Seeing the dejected look in her eyes he ventured another guess. "They told you it was too risky and that you shouldn't have the baby, right?"

Lauren looked down and nodded. 

"Shit Lauren... No wonder you have been a wreck. All this, stuff... Why didn't you come to me sooner?"

"Well, because... I didn't want to tell you anything until I was sure that it was a viable pregnancy. And then, I didn't know how you would react. I mean, we certainly weren't planning on this. And I didn't want you to think that I was trying to trap you in a long term relationship... and maybe you wouldn't want anything to do with a baby, and I AM having this baby, no matter what. And there are still so many things that can go wrong...and..."

Lauren was getting herself worked up and even though he didn't know much about it, Bucky was pretty sure that it wasn't good for her or the baby. Taking her face in his hands he said, "Lauren, breathe. Just breathe and think about how amazing this is. We made a baby!!" Seeing his smile and the twinkle in his eyes, she couldn't help but smile too.

"Okay. Okay. I'm breathing. I mean, everything could be fine. Right?"

Bucky echoed, "Right!! We just take it one day at a time. You do whatever the doctor tells you to do. I do whatever you tell ME to do. And then, in... how long?"

"Roughly six and 1/2 months, give or take a couple of days."

With a look of terror and absolute delight all rolled into one, Bucky echoed, "In roughly six and 1/2 months, give or take a couple of days, we have a baby!" He pulled her up from the couch, hugging her close then twirling her round and round the room. Suddenly he stopped with a serious look on his face and told her, "I need to be a part of this. I want to go with you for checkups and tests and everything. I want to know how you are really doing. I want, I NEED you to be open and honest with me. No matter what. Okay?"

Lauren nodded and said, "I promise." They sat down then, discussing what they should do next. Bucky wanted a full rundown of who already knew about the pregnancy and they agreed they would wait a couple more weeks to make an 'official announcement'. He admitted that he hoped that it was a girl and wondered aloud how soon they could find out. Lauren said she would be happy with either a girl or a boy, and although they could probably find out in just a few weeks, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the gender. They talked about who the baby would look like, possible names, and the overwhelming number of things they didn't know anything about. 

Bucky reached out and gently put his hand on Lauren's tummy. He bent over and said, "Hey baby Barnes, this is your daddy. Listen, I can't wait to meet you and all, but don't get in a hurry. You need to hang in there and grow strong first. I'll be right here waiting on you. And try to go easy on your mama, okay?" Lauren thought that was about the sweetest thing she had ever seen or heard and she had to fight back the tears again. She watched as Bucky talked with Spencer, who feeling left out, had crawled up on the couch and put his head on Lauren's leg, just to be a part of things. "Spencer. This is very important so listen up. When I am not here, and hell, even when I am, it is YOUR job to watch out for mama. Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets close to her unless she says it's ok. You keep her safe, alright?" Spencer barked twice, wagging his tail in agreement.

Picking up one of the half dozen dog toys that lay around the room, Bucky tossed it for Spencer to chase and the game was on. Smiling, Lauren could not believe how her life had changed in just a few short months. Bucky... her sweet, gentle Bucky who had been through so much hell in his life, yet managed to always have a smile for her. Bucky the Winter Soldier who, for reasons beyond his control, had killed and maimed dozens of people and felt so much guilt over it that he was tormented by nightmares... Bucky, who had been so patient with her through all of her craziness and now seemed not only willing, but eager to be a father to their baby. She was so very lucky to have him. So very blessed...

Lauren's mind was drifting. Weary from the weeks of keeping secrets, the stress and lack of sleep had taken their toll and she stretched out on the couch and gave in to the wave of contentment that covered her. Bucky watched her as she put her head on a pillow and instantly dozed off. He walked over and grabbed the little blanket off her chair, gently covering her with it. He waited to hear her breathing slow down and deepen, and once he was sure that she was truly asleep, he grabbed his cell phone, and his keys then stepped outside and quietly closed the door. Spencer immediately curled up on the floor on front of Lauren. 

 

Sitting on the bottom stair of the porch, Bucky exhaled a shaky breath and put his head in his hands. He was in shock. He could not believe this was happening. He felt like he had been hit by a semi. He wanted to shout with joy. He wanted to puke. He wanted to tell the whole world. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to run away. He wanted to cry for god's sake! His phone rang. It was Steve. His good buddy Steve, who KNEW that Lauren was pregnant, and hadn't told him. 

"Hello."

"Hey Bucky! How's it going?"

"Oh... it's, uh, going, I guess."

"What? Has something happened? Is Lauren ok?"

"You dog!" Bucky was not going to let him live this one down. "What the hell? You didn't think I might want to know that she is pregnant? That this might be the kind of thing that one friend would share with the other? And oh by the way Mr. Obvious, you didn't even ask if "I" was okay... you asked about Lauren."

"Buck.. Buck, oh man I... "

Bucky laughed and said, "I'm just messing with you. Nobody knows better than I do how persuasive she can be. If she told you not to tell, you couldn't tell me. But don't think I'm going to forget it."

They talked for a while longer, Bucky sharing with Steve how his gut was in knots and that he was afraid that he couldn't do this parenting thing. Steve laughed and said, "Come on man!! It seems to me, with all that you have been through, this should be a piece of cake. And by the way, you aren't in it alone. You'll have Lauren right by your side. I think between the two of you, it will work out just fine."

After they hung up, Bucky thought about what Steve had said. In the back of his mind, some fleeting thought, just out of reach, tickled his brain. He knew trying to force the issue wouldn't work. Hydra had screwed with mind so many times and in so many ways, he had moments when he just couldn't grasp the thoughts that were formed there. It would come. Feeling a little better, he decided to take a walk, leaving Lauren to get some much needed sleep.

 

Jordon was outraged. He was furious. He was scared. He had failed. And now he must find a way to get back in the good graces of Col. Straus. Not that he really cared about Hydra and their vision for world domination. He just wanted to hurt the Winter Soldier. He was an abomination. He deserved to die. But Jordon didn't want him dead. Not yet anyway. No that would be the easy way out. He wanted him to suffer. His original plan had failed before it had really begun to unfold. However, before he had been so unceremoniously dumped by Tony Stark, Jordon had learned something very interesting. Something that might be just the ticket he needed for his entry back into the Hydra fold. Yes, he was certain that he could regain some stature in the organization and destroy Sgt. Barnes at the same time. Wouldn't that be delightful? 

Seemingly, as if the very thought of his name had summoned him, Col Straus entered the room and stood across the table staring at Jordon.

"Well Mr. Kane. It seems that your big talk of delivering the Winter Soldier to me has ... shall we say, stalled out."

"Yes. Yes sir. But if you would.."

"Mr. Kane. Jordon. Time is of the essence. Many of our records were destroyed by S.H.I.E.L.D. when they stormed our facilities and outposts. Many of our operatives were killed. Many more scattered to avoid capture. It is imperative that we regroup quickly and strike while the enemy believes we are weakened by our losses. We need the Winter Soldier. His knowledge and abilities are priceless. Worth far more to us than, you perhaps?"

Jordon, his ego unhampered by recent events spoke up, "No sir! I have some priceless information for you. If you would allow me?"

Straus was curious. He nodded for Jordon to continue.

"I understand your desire to reacquire the Winter Soldier. But what if I were to tell you that something remarkable has happened? That you could have Barnes and his... offspring at the same time?"

Jordon went on to explain how he had witnessed Lauren visit two doctors in as many days. That one of those doctors was an obstetrician. How using his hacking abilities, he had easily obtained the doctors report on Lauren. She is pregnant. The Winter Soldier has fathered a child.

"I thought that was impossible!" Straus exclaimed. 

"Apparently not." Jordon replied with a grimace.

He pointed out to the colonel the possibilities that actually "breeding" assets might offer to the cause. He realized that it did not help the current need for quick action, but felt certain that in the long run, it might be more than worth the wait.

Their meeting over, Jordon was escorted to his temporary quarters. The colonel wanted to discuss what he had learned with other members of Hydra leadership. Jordon was safe, for now.

 

Lauren awoke to the sounds of Bucky setting the table and searching the cupboard for something. She yawned and stretched, getting Spencer's attention who, having been on guard duty for a few hours now, was ready to go outside. Joining him in the kitchen, Lauren gave Bucky a hug from behind. He turned and said, "Hey sleepy head! You ready for some nourishment?" Giving it a moment's consideration, Lauren realized that she really WAS hungry, for the first time in several days. She nodded at him and asked "Is there anything I can do to help?" 

"Nope. You just take it easy. It will be on the table in no time."

"How long did I sleep?"

Bucky laughed and said, "Almost three hours." 

"What??" Lauren looked at the clock and was amazed to see how late it was. "Wow" was all she could think to say.

A few minutes later, they sat down and shared their first official meal as "parents to be". Bucky had stopped by the Tower cafeteria while he was out and grabbed a double order of their 'strawberry, poppy seed, walnut chicken salad' that was a favorite of Laurens. He also picked up a couple of their specialty sandwiches and a few brownies for dessert. Lauren was duly impressed and ate a full portion of each. A little later, they went for a short walk and stopped to sit on one of many park benches that were scattered around the compound grounds. They greeted a few others who were out on this lovely evening, walking or jogging along the paths that surrounded the pond that served as a meeting place for local wildlife as well as the people that lived there.

When they returned home, Bucky watched Lauren putter around the house, picking up stray clothes that had somehow managed to avoid the hamper, the scattered dog toys, a few magazines and newspapers. As she stood in the center of the room, looking to see what else she could straighten up, Bucky walked to stand in front of her, taking her hands in his. She looked at him quizzically, waiting for him to say whatever was on his mind.

"Lauren?"

"hmm?"

"Do you... can we still.. I mean, it won't hurt you or the baby if we..."

Smiling, she told him what he wanted to know, "No Bucky. It won't hurt the baby. Or me. I promise."

Bucky smiled and kissed her, saying "Thank god." She squealed with laughter as he picked her up and carried her to their bedroom where he sat her down and then sitting next to her said, "Lauren, I want to thank you." She asked softly, "For what?" He looked at her with his eyes so blue not even the bluest sky above could compare. "For taking a chance on me. For giving me hope. For opening your heart to me. For loving me in a way I didn't think anyone ever could, or would. Thank you."

She started to reply but he wouldn't let her. He shushed her with a kiss. A kiss so sweet and yet so passionate that Lauren felt herself drowning. He lay her back on the bed then, slowly removing her clothes, kissing every inch of her body as it was reveled to him. He paid special attention to her sweet spot, his lips and tongue working their magic, giving her cause to moan his name over and over again as he pleasured her like no one ever had. They shared their love that night like it was the first time and possibly the last. When he awoke the next morning, Bucky's mind was clear and he knew what he needed to do.

 

MUSIC CHOICE -- "Drowning" -- Backstreet Boys

 

  

 

The transition from sound asleep to wide awake was instantaneous. Lauren opened her eyes and knew she had overslept. Knew she was late for work. Knew that Bucky was gone. Spencer was next to her on the bed, waiting patiently for attention. Sitting up and looking at the clock, she noticed a pink rose and a note lying next to her on Bucky's pillow.

Good morning love. Please don't be angry –

I called the lab and told them you wouldn't be

in today. I'm out with Clint and ... Sam. Yes. It's 

going to be a great day.  You and baby Barnes

take it easy.

I LOVE YOU

B. 

Lauren smiled as she picked up the rose, touched it to her nose then stretched her arms in the air, wondering how Bucky knew she needed the extra day off. Re-reading his note, she grinned, thinking of three of them together for the day. She would like to be a fly on that wall...

 

* * * * * * *

Sam, who had been staying close to home in D.C. the past several months, was peppering Clint and Bucky with questions about the happenings at "Avengers Tower II- Sarasota branch" since his last visit there. Clint was going on and on about how nice the weather was EVERY SINGLE DAY, unless of course they were battling a hurricane, and really, how often did that happen?

"So Tin-Man," Sam's latest name for Bucky, "How goes it? All that nasty stuff out of your head now? No more sudden urges to kill?" 

Bucky shook his head, "I don't know. I'm feeling a pretty strong urge right now."

"Hey man! I mean no disrespect." Sam grew quiet as he watched Bucky from his perch. "You know, you look different from the last time I saw you. More... relaxed."

Clint laughed. "Well, I should hope so. If I recall, the last time we were all together, there was a battle royal, pitting friend against friend. And a few of us spent some time behind bars."

"Yes!! The cat-man! How is he doing? Clearly he didn't kill Bucky while he was on ice and under his protection. So things are cool. Right? Cool? Get it?" Sam was grinning down at them.

"Yeah, you are real funny, bird-man." Bucky was getting a nagging headache listening to Sam's nonsense while waiting to make their move. 

As if on cue, Clint made a motion with his hand, "Heads up. Here we go."

A group of men in full tactical gear exited the building, their guard down. They weren't expecting to be hindered by law enforcement of any kind, much less the Avengers. When Hawkeye let the first explosive arrow fly, they scattered like bugs when the light comes on. Falcon wounded two of the soldiers from his position on the roof. Bucky spotted two others working their way towards a black SUV, no doubt hoping to make their escape. He sprinted after them and knocked the first man on his butt before they knew he was there. He turned to see the other soldier lifting his weapon to fire at him. Using his metal hand, he grabbed the muzzle of the pistol and wrenched it from the man's hand, then smacked him upside the head with it, knocking him out. The first man had regained his feet and propelled himself into Bucky, knocking him down, falling on top of him. Bucky grabbed him by his collar and tossed him through the air like a ragdoll. Standing up and kicking their weapons away, Bucky tied their hands and feet together, guaranteeing they wouldn't be any further threat.

Looking up, he saw Clint making his way to the entrance of the building. Falcon dropped two more of the soldiers and was maneuvering towards the entrance as well. Bucky watched as Clint and Sam slipped inside. He knew there was one more soldier unaccounted for. He scoped out the parking lot, and finding no one, he circled around to the back of the building where he could enter and flank them on the inside.

Sam and Clint had found what they came for. Several dozen crates filled with missile guidance circuit boards...all wrapped up and ready to be sold on the black market to the highest bidder.

"Now this is what I'm talking about. This here is wrong. Pure evil. Do you hear what I'm saying?" Clint nodded at Sam and keyed his ear mic, "Buck, where are you?"

"About 20 yards behind you on the east side of the building. There are several men in suits and lab coats, with their own goon squad in tow. You guys better move fast or join me over here to take them down... without killing them of course." The Avengers under Tony and Fury's supervision had been directed to try to hold down the number of dead bodies they left in the wake of their operations. That point had been stressed over and over to Bucky before today's mission, his first without Steve there to rein him in.

Suddenly, all hell broke loose. A bullet whizzed past Bucky's head and sparked against the metal rail he was standing next to. He dropped to the ground, looking all around, trying to spot the sniper. Taking a peek, he saw that the goons from the office were pouring out of the door and as they spotted him, they began firing repeatedly. Luckily, he was close to several stacks of fully loaded pallets to take cover behind, but he had to move soon or be trapped. And he needed to find that sniper! Soon, he heard the sounds of return fire meaning that Sam had arrived and was spraying the guards with gunfire. 

Keying his mic he said, "Sam, there's a sniper, up high I think. I haven't spotted him yet."

"Copy that tin-man."

Clint joined the conversation, "Buck, I can't see you. I want to drop a couple of hot arrows around that office. Can you give me a signal so I don't take you out with the trash?"

"Hold on..." Bucky looked around and smiled ruefully as he realized that some of the pallets he was surrounded by held bags of quick dry cement mix. "OK Clint. This is either going to be really cool, or very bad."

Bucky braced himself, leaning back hard against a stack of the pallets, his weapon ready to fire. He grabbed one of the cement bags in his left hand and tossed it straight up, shooting at it, releasing an explosion of gray powder that quickly spread across the entire area. It was good enough for Clint as he fired into the office bringing out the rest of the people cowering inside. They were mostly the technical types who threw their hands up in surrender without even being asked to. The few remaining guards were quickly corralled and Sam started in on his tirade about how some people just had no respect for cleanliness and could make more of a mess in 20 seconds than most people could in 20 days.

"But it did look pretty cool," added Clint as he finished zip tying the last of the prisoners. 

Sam looked down from his spot in the rafters and saw Bucky aiming his pistol in his direction. "Hey! Tin-man! I was kidding! Don't get yourself all riled up. And please don't go all winter soldier on..." Before he could finish, he simultaneously heard Clint yell " Sam, DROP!" and saw the flash of Bucky's weapon. Next thing he knew, a body was falling behind him then tumbling to the ground below. He looked at Bucky, eyes wide. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Bucky said, "You're welcome," and turned to see Clint smile at him as he called in to the locals to come pick up the scum.

Once the trio arrived back at the copter, Bucky stripped off his jacket and beat it against the ground, trying to knock the dust out. He leaned over and ran his fingers through his hair, shaking his head back and forth, then tried smacking the cement off his pants.

Sam grinned, "Man, if we sprayed you with water right now, you would harden up like a statue." 

Bucky groaned. "Lauren is not going to like this."

"Whewww... wait a minute! " Sam was not aware of how far Bucky and Lauren's 'relationship' had progressed since his last visit. "What's the story HERE? Is she actually doing your laundry? Man... you must have some hidden charms that I just can't see, and probably don't want to..."

Bucky asked Clint, "Do you have any aspirin? It's going to be a LONG flight home."

 

Lauren was working outside, pulling weeds from the flower beds and tiny vegetable garden she had planted earlier in the spring. She was humming a tune that she couldn't quite remember the words to when the first wave of dizziness hit her. She sat backwards on the ground, hard...waiting for the world to stop spinning around her. "Whoa, " she whispered. "Is that you sweet baby? Or is it me?" Spencer watched her as she put her head down on her knees and breathed a slow calming breath. Lauren waited a few minutes then open her eyes and lifted her head. Fortunately, as quickly as it had come over her, the dizziness passed. She gathered up her trowel, her bag of weeds and the dead heads she had popped off the marigolds then stood slowly. Spencer saw that she was finished and followed on her heels as she made her way back inside. She washed her hands, changed her top, kicked off her shoes and curled up on the couch with Spencer, who was more than happy to be by her side. 

"Let's see what we can find on the tube, what do you say Spence?" The dog looked at her lovingly with his big brown eyes, smiling that smile that only dog lovers recognize, and stretched out for a nap. "Yeah buddy, I hear that" Lauren stretched out too, as much as she could in the space that was left on the couch. "Good idea," she whispered as the fog of sleep swirled around her and quickly owned the moment. She slept. And then she dreamed. She dreamed of Bucky. Bucky lying on his belly cold and weary, but fully alert, on edge. He held a rifle, a big one with infrared scope and dials that she didn't recognize. He was taking aim at something... no. Someone.

In her dream, she called out to him, wanting him to stop. He turned to look at her and it wasn't Bucky. Not her Bucky. This man had no light in his eyes. Only hate and pain and a frightening determination. He was looking in her direction, not so much at her, as through her. And she was afraid.

Spencer's tail was thumping frantically as he whimpered with joy. Bucky was coming in the back door, into the small mud room, complete with laundry area and a small shower. Lauren woke with a start, and jumped up to greet him as he came in. He smiled at her and she threw her arms around him, squeezing as tightly as she could. "Hey!" he said "you may want to wait..." She cut him off with a kiss, an urgent, almost desperate kiss. "Lauren, hold on!" Bucky tried to warn her. And then she smelled it, and tasted it and backed away, looking at him in his full powdered glory.

"What the...? Ewwwww!" Bucky gave her an apologetic look and said, "I need a shower." She studied his appearance with a look of horror and amusement, watching as he pulled his shirt off over his head, dropping it on top of the already discarded jacket. He unlaced his shoes and kicked them off, then unbuckled his trousers and dropped them as well. He gave her quizzical look and asked, "Enjoying the show?" He looked absolutely adorable standing there in nothing but his boxers, gray dust flitting around his head and the pile of clothes on the floor. "Do you want me to put these in the washing machine?" he asked Lauren as she fought back a giggle.

"What IS that stuff?" 

"Cement mix..." 

"NO!! Do not put those clothes in my machine."

Bucky grimaced and said, "I see your point." With that he reached into the shower and turned on the water, letting it warm up before he got in. He pulled a towel off the shelf and hung it on the hook beside the shower door, then tested the water. He turned to find that Lauren was mostly undressed too. "Oh!" he said, pleasantly surprised. She shook her head at him, "You are going to need some help. We don't want to leave any of that stuff in your hair, or ... anywhere. Right?" Bucky nodded, "Right. Whatever you say, little mama." He opened the shower door again and stepped in, letting the water flow over his face, through his hair and down his back. He groaned with satisfaction as the grime loosened up and ran down his body. Keeping his eyes closed, he smiled as he felt Lauren slip in behind him. She had grabbed the shampoo and started lathering up his hair, scrubbing deep with her fingers, trying to get every bit of the stinky gray cement. 

"Rinse." She tugged on his hair, "Rinse Bucky." He lifted his head and closed his eyes tightly to keep the soap out as Lauren ran her fingers through his hair over and over then said, "Wash again." Bucky laughed and said "You're the boss" as he let her lather his hair again. After the second rinse she was satisfied with his hair, and grabbing a thick washcloth and body wash, she set to work on cleaning his shoulders, back, butt and legs. Bucky was enjoying it all immensely and almost didn't hear her when she said, "Turn around."

The shower was small, not meant for more than one person at a time. Bucky lifted his brows as he turned to face her, his eyes twinkling. Lauren was all business. She gently washed is face, scraping her fingernails through the thick scruff on his cheeks, and chin, and down his throat. "Rinse," she told him. Bucky rinsed as she re-applied soap to her cloth, then started washing his chest, using a slow circular motion she worked her way down his chest, abs, stomach to the hair below his waist, setting his blood on fire. She moved the cloth back up to his left shoulder, taking special care, gently washing the area where the metal arm was connected to his skin. In a shared memory, they both smiled, thinking of that first shower, at her house in Greenwood... that kiss that almost wasn't... that moment when Bucky knew...

He grabbed her wrist and gently pushed her against the wall, leaning into her with a soft kiss that quickly escalated into much, much more. Lauren clung to him, needing to feel his touch, his warmth, his strength. Any remnants of that other Bucky she had dreamed of were washed away and forgotten.

Later, as they snuggled under the sheets, Bucky asked, "How was your day?" Lauren rose up and kissed his chest, smiling at him. "Good. My day was good. But clearly it was not as adventurous as yours." He laughed then, telling her the story she wanted to hear, leaving out the parts he didn't think she needed to know.

"And tell me, please, how did you and Sam get along? 

Bucky rolled his eyes and groaned, "That guy. Honestly, I think he hates me."

Lauren laughed. I really doubt that. If he DOES, it's just because he doesn't know you well enough." 

Bucky snorted, "Right. I'm sure that's it."

Sitting up, Lauren said, "I'm hungry! You want to go to Pedro's?" He took her hand and kissed her palm. "Yeah, that sounds good."

They dressed, and then Lauren fed Spencer while Bucky stuffed his filthy clothes in a trash bag to get them off the floor. He would have figure out what to do with them some other day.

 

Pedro's was a Mexican restaurant, more or less just a hole in the wall, but very popular. On this night, there was a 30 minute wait. Bucky left Lauren in the waiting area while he went to get them a couple of sodas. Seconds later, she heard someone calling her name. Looking through the wooden spindles that separated her from the dining area, she saw Steve waving. He left his spot and came to her saying, "Come on, we have a booth. Plenty of room for you and Bucky. Sam is there, go have a seat and I'll grab Buck when he gets back."

Lauren had only met Sam a couple of times, once just to say 'hello' and again in the gym, while she was walking laps with Wanda on a particularly rainy day. She liked him immediately, but knew that Bucky was a little uncomfortable around him.

"Hey baby doll!" Sam greeted her. "Look at you... all sweet and put together just right. Girl you are glowing."

Slightly embarrassed, she replied, "Hi Sam. Nice to see you again."

"So, tell me all about you and my man Bucky. Remind me, how did the two of you meet, and why are you still with him?" Laughing, Lauren smiled and shook her head. "Oh, I'm sure that dark brooding look of his is pretty attractive at first. But a woman like you? Something tells me you need more. Someone who can make you smile. Someone like... me for instance!"

Steve grabbed Bucky on his way from the bar and told him that Lauren was at his table. He mentioned that Sam was there too and Bucky groaned, "No... nonono. I've had enough of him for one day. The man never shuts up."

When Sam caught sight of Cap and Bucky walking his way, he made no move to leave Lauren's side. Bucky chewed the inside of his mouth and sat across from Lauren, who was still giggling over something Sam had said.

"Tin-Man! Here we are together again. And may I add how much better you look than the last time I saw you? I guess the lovely Miss Lauren cleaned you up like a stray dog. Some women just have a knack for that kind of thing. And it's always the pretty ones." Lauren and Bucky exchanged glances and Lauren couldn't stop the blush that covered her cheeks.

The waitress arrived to take their orders and Bucky asked Lauren, "Your usual?" She smiled, "Yes, but extra rice and no beans." He winked at her and Sam watched the way she looked at "the Winter Soldier". Yeah, there was something good going on here.

Once the food arrived the conversation flowed and Bucky had to admit that Sam could be pretty funny and even charming, judging from the way Lauren was reacting to him. Later, as they lingered over drinks, (Lauren was on her 3rd Sprite), Bucky and Lauren held hands across the table.

"So, you two, have you set a date yet?" Steve spit out his coffee as Lauren looked surprised and Bucky gave Sam a look that could quite literally kill. Looking back and forth between them Sam continued. "Oh come on!! It's obvious that this is a more or less permanent arrangement. Surely you are going to marry this woman Tin-man? Yes? No? ... ooops"

Steve had recovered enough to say "Okay then, on that happy note, we'll leave now so Sam doesn't put any more feet in his mouth."

Leaning close, Sam whispered in Lauren's ear "Sorry. I didn't mean to rock the boat." Then out loud he told her "You stay beautiful, you know what I'm saying?" Lauren just nodded and gave him a weak smile. Steve and Bucky were saying good bye and Sam grabbed Bucky's hand. "Man. I am so sorry if I spoke out of turn." "IF?" Bucky shot back at him. Sam said softly "Put a ring on that woman's finger...or somebody else might try. That's all I'm saying." Steve shook his head and waved at Lauren, saying "good nite"

Neither Bucky or Lauren had much to say on the ride home, and they spent the rest of the evening watching t.v. or in Lauren's case, snoozing on the couch with Spencer snuggled up between her and Bucky.

* * * * * *

 

A few days later, Lauren arrived home from the lab to find Bucky and Spencer sitting on the porch. She kissed the dog on his head, rubbing behind his ears, and then threw the ball that he carried with him everywhere. Bucky was staring at her.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" He laughed as she bent down to kiss him. They sat side by side on the stairs, tossing the ball over and over, making for one very happy dog. Finally, Bucky scooted down a step and turned sideways to look her in the eyes.

"Lauren I was...I was wondering. What would you think about... What if I... I mean, what if we... SHIT."

"Bucky! What the heck?"

He sighed in resignation, "I really wanted this to go so much better than it is." He took her hand in his, "Lauren Nicole Mitchell, will you marry me?" He took a small black felt bag from his pocket and pulled out a ring, lifting it up for Lauren to see. She hadn't said a word yet.

"Lauren?"

She was studying his face in shocked amazement, "... what?"

"Will you marry me? Please?"

"Will I... really? Yes - Yes! - YES!!"

He put the ring on her finger and sealed the deal with a lingering kiss.

"Oh Bucky, it's so BEAUTIFUL!! Where, how, when did you do this?"

"Well, Clint may have given me a few ideas... but when I saw it in the window of that antique store you like so much, it just looked 'right' to me."

Lauren started crying.

"Oh... no! Baby if you don't like it, we can get a different one."

"No! Bucky it's perfect. It is."

"Why the tears?" he brushed his thumb across her cheek. "Aren't you supposed to be happy?"

"I am! I truly am."

Bucky gave her his adorable sideways look, "...but?"

"It's just that, I need to know that this is what YOU really want. Not because of anything Sam said or because you think it's something you 'should' do. Bucky I love you so much. And I'll love you just as much whether we are married or not."

"Baby, I know that. That's WHY I want to do this. All I need in this whole world is you and me and our baby to be together, for always." 

Lauren nodded and cried harder.

"And just so you know, I bought this ring WEEKS ago. I just wasn't sure, with all that was going on, that it was the right time. Lauren, sweetheart, please stop crying. Please." She looked at him with her tear-stained face and runny nose and Bucky thought he had never seen anything so beautiful.

"I'm sorry," she said between sniffs, flapping her hands in front of her face, adding "Hormones."

Bucky pulled her close, "I know. I know."

 

MUSIC CHOICE "Home" -- Phillip Phillips

 

  

 

Nearly 80 miles away, in a well disguised Hydra facility, Jordon nearly screamed with anger. The good news was that the long range listening devices he had developed for the air force and reconfigured for use by NASA were working perfectly and as yet, had been completely undetected. The video feeds he planted had been purged by Stark's techs, but he had piggy-backed the audio program on three separate and innocent looking programs that together, kept the wheels turning and the whole place running smoothly. There were dozens of 'bugs' planted all around the Stark compound. The only areas he had been unable to access were Tony's private offices and a couple of the Avengers' living quarters. Not that it really mattered. He was privy to their lounge and conference rooms, where they openly discussed everything under the sun. 

There were also several devices in all three of the labs and, of course, in one particular little house that he had become very familiar with. He might have been caught the night that Lauren had convinced Sgt. Barnes to take a late walk, but they were slow and stupid and he had easily eluded them. The bad news was that he had been subjected, over and over again to discussions like this sappy proposal and the results of their over active libidos ...these two were like a couple of rabbits. Yet again, the Winter Soldier reaped the rewards that should have been his!!

Jordon reminded himself once again that he would win in the end. Just a few more months. After all these years, he could wait just a little while longer.

 

Lauren didn't want a big wedding. She had already done that, and she wanted everything about her life with Bucky to be fresh and new. Of course, right from the start, things didn't work out quite the way they planned. She and Bucky had decided to walk over to the Tower Building to have a bite to eat. And if any of their friends were there, they would share the happy news with them. It was just their luck that pretty much everybody was there.

Thor, who hadn't been seen in several weeks, had arrived to discuss with Tony some character named Thanos. Clint was present, along with Sam, Wanda, Natasha, Steve, Vision, Scott Lang and even director Fury and Dr. Banner. Bucky and Lauren looked at each other as they stepped into the room full of people. She whispered, "Maybe not tonight?" Bucky was holding her hand and he raised it to his lips, gave her a wink and said, "nahhhh... we got this."

Introductions were made for those who hadn't met before, and after some small talk, they all sat down to a catered feast that Tony had arranged. About a half an hour into the meal, Sam made his way over to visit with Lauren. "How you doin' pretty lady? Still keeping questionable company I see." Bucky just stared at him. Lauren smiled and said, "Some habits are just too good to break." 

Reaching up to push a strand of hair away from her eyes, Sam noticed the ring as it sparkled in the light. "DAMN!!" he blurted out without thinking. He grabbed her hand and said, "Way to go Tin-Man!"

Natasha turned and immediately spotted the bling, "Wow! That's some ring!" By now, more people were turning to see what was going on. Delighted chaos ensued, with hearty congratulations all around. Finally Tony declared it was time for a toast and drinks were distributed to everyone. When Sam commented about Lauren drinking water, Bucky looked at Lauren who smiled and nodded. "Hey, uh, for those of you who don't already know," he looked pointedly at Steve, "there's a little more news..." Several people in the room looked relieved that they didn't have to hold on that secret any longer!

After receiving even more hugs and love from all those present, Lauren excused herself to go to the ladies room. On the way there, a wave of dizziness almost knocked her off her feet. She managed to edge her way into the restroom and held on to a sink, afraid that if she let go she would end up on her butt. "Oh God, please don't let me pass out, Please" The vertigo passed quickly once again, but the intensity of it worried her. She decided she should ask the doctor about it the next day. 

 

All in all it was a lovely evening, shared with the man she loved and good friends. It was almost perfect, until Lauren awoke in the middle of the night in a full on panic. She'd had another one of those odd nightmarish dreams. In it, Bucky was strapped in a chair, hooked up to some horrid looking contraption. He was screaming in pain. Lauren could feel his agony over every inch of her body. She cried out for him but he couldn't hear her. She was desperate to help, but there seemed to be nothing she could do. Tears flowed as she begged the shadow people doing this to him to stop. Their only response was to laugh at her and to promise that she could be next in the chair, right along with her baby. That's when she practically jumped out of bed, waking Bucky, who followed her to the bathroom where she heaved and heaved, getting nothing up. After a while, he asked her if she wanted to tell him about her dream, but she shook her head and grabbed onto him, still trembling. He took her back to their bed and held her, gently rubbing small circles on her shoulder and arm, as he whispered promises that everything was okay. 

When sleep finally came for Lauren, Bucky was left wide awake, wondering if her nightmare had been anything like his. 

It had been. Exactly like his.


	5. INTERLUDE --  TIME

TIME. Time is a funny thing. We wait on it, we watch it, we use it, we enjoy it or we don't. We count it, we waste it, but we can't escape it. TIME. We measure it in units of seconds, minutes, hours and days, in weeks, months, years and decades. But who are we to decide? WHY are there sixty seconds in a minute and sixty minutes in an hour but only 24 hours in a day? Who decided that was the way it was supposed to go? TIME is a constant companion, but somehow, it also runs out. How can both be true? They say there is a time for everything, So how do so many things go, unsaid, unfinished, unprepared? TIME is a funny thing.

 

In theory, time is the same for all of us, though it very often does not feel that way. 

For Jordon Kane, time wasn't moving quickly enough. The days and weeks drug on, and in fact, to him it often felt as if time was standing still. But even in that stillness there was a sense of expectancy... the time was drawing near, would soon be at hand. If a sick mind can actually be happy, his was.

 

For the majority of the "Avengers Family", time was running its normal course. There was crime to fight, battles to be won, life to carry on. To those who were closest to Bucky and Lauren, they shared in their happiness. A wedding. A baby on the way. The happiness of a couple they all loved and admired and who deserved this second chance. To them, time was a calendar more than anything. A way to keep track of the days and activities of life. It was good. These times were good.

 

For Lauren and Bucky time fluctuated madly. They were married at the Stark compound, in the spectacular rose gardens by the pond, complete with swans and pink and white flowering lily pads. Tony insisted on footing the bill for EVERYTHING. The floral arrangements, the photographer, the musicians, the tents, a huge array of foods for the guests to choose from, the amazing cake that was so beautiful it made Lauren cry. He contacted Liz and Alice in Greenwood, and arranged for them to be flown in to share this special day with Lauren. To top it off, his 'wedding gift' to the couple was a honeymoon cruise. So much for a small wedding. 

Lauren wore a soft pink satiny dress that swirled around her feet as she walked down the aisle to be "given away" to Bucky by Tony and Clint because they were both so special to her, she couldn't pick just one. Her hair was pulled back and held by a clip adorned with tiny pink and white roses. Bucky was dressed in black. His boutonniere was a deep pink colored rose. In their vows they spoke of time. They spoke of their past and the time they had lost. They spoke of their future and the time they would spend together. 

 

TIME. Time is funny. We fool ourselves into believing that we have some kind of control over it. That we can make it work for us, when really, we have no choice but to adapt to it. We are pawns in a cosmic game of chess. We move, time counters. And we all know that in the end, time will win the game.

 

TIME. Time for a baby... Everything appeared to be going well with Baby Barnes. Lauren continued to suffer with dizzy spells and wicked nightmares. Her doctor assured her over and over again that the baby was fine and so was she. Bucky endured the mood swings, the tears, the tiredness, the fears, the fits of giggles that arose from nowhere. Every emotion that Lauren felt, every nightmare that they somehow shared, he took the brunt of them and kept smiling. He kept comforting. And he kept on loving her the best way that he knew how.

The first time Lauren grabbed his hand and placed it on her tummy whispering, "Wait..." and he suddenly felt the baby, HIS baby, move inside her, he cried. And then Lauren cried because Bucky was crying. And Spencer barked, because he wanted in on whatever was going on!

TIME. Time passes and all too soon there was a baby shower, and in the tradition of her family, Lauren made sure that the men were invited to share in the festivities. The gifts were as varied and plentiful as the stars in the sky, from practical to outlandish and everything in between. Thor brought Lauren a necklace made from a gemstone that could only be found on Asgard. It was stunning and according to legend, it brought protection and happiness to the one who wore it and those that she loved. Lauren was deeply touched by his generosity and Bucky was quick to accept a hearty bear hug from the giant of a man. Between Wanda and Natasha this baby would never want for clothes, blankets or diapers and with Clint and his wealth of experience, the men provided everything from the smallest rattle to a comfy rocking chair for those late night visits to the nursery. 

Quite possibly the most popular gift was from Sam. He had a friend of a friend, (you know what I'm saying?) make a tiny Winter Soldier outfit, with a shiny silver left sleeve that boasted a perfectly stitched red star on the shoulder. There was also a tiny black glove to complete the look. Even Bucky had to smile at that.

 

TIME. Time marches on. It leaves memories in its wake, while holding promises for the future. 

TIME. Too much? Not enough? Seemingly boundless, while inexorably winding down.

Time is on our side. Or maybe it isn't.

Who can say?


	6. THE END OF THE BEGINNING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything happens for a reasons even the bad things; Danger lurks; stories unfold; the end of the beginning

THE END OF THE BEGINNING

 

Three weeks. Just three short weeks and Baby Barnes should be making his/her grand entrance. Bucky was on a mission in Slovakia with Steve, Sam & Tony. He didn't like being so far away from home and even though Clint had assured him that the first baby would take all kinds of time being born and that no matter where he was in the world, he would get back home in plenty of time... Bucky was not convinced. He had already asked Tony that this be his last mission out of the states until after the baby was born. Tony had laughed and assured him this was his last mission PERIOD until after HIS niece or nephew was born. The whole crew had asked him time and again if the baby was a boy or a girl. Bucky just shook his head and vowed that he didn't know. The first couple of ultra –sounds did not clearly reveal the baby's sex and after that he agreed with Lauren that he didn't want to know beforehand.

Everything was so good right now. He had become an integral part of the Avengers team. He had friends, people he cared about and who cared about him. He had the house, the dog, the life that he had dreamed of. Best of all, he had Lauren and soon, very soon, they would have a baby. Sometimes he was overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude. If you had asked him all those years ago, in the midst of the pain and torture, the fear, the sense of utter loss and helplessness; if you had asked him then if he thought he could ever have all of this, be this happy, his answer would have been a resounding no. Not in a million years. Never. But here he was, and he was so grateful, but he didn't know who to thank. Was this God's way of making up for the crap he had been subjected to? If there was a God, why did all the crap happen in the first place?

Lauren told him once that it was not God that did all those things to him. But rather, it was the absence of God in the hearts of the men who actually did the awful deeds. Bucky wasn't sure he believed that, but he knew that she did, so he didn't argue the point with her. That was one of the first things he had learned over the past months. You don't argue with a pregnant woman. Even if you are right, you lose.

 

Lauren was miserable. Her back and feet hurt all the time. The nausea that had plagued her through the entire pregnancy was starting to become almost unbearable. And the dreams, those awful dreams that woke her in the middle of the night, shaking and afraid. She and Bucky were having the same dreams. She didn't know how, but there was no denying it. The first time they became aware of it, they lay it off on coincidence. After the 3rd or 4th time, it started freaking them both out. They went to Tony in hopes of finding some clue in the Hydra papers that S.H.I.E.L.D. had confiscated. They came up empty handed except for one scribbled addendum: 

Subject #3 appears to have developed a keen sense of Extra Sensory Perception, as regards the other subjects. No perception has developed between the subject and volunteers who had not been exposed to the serum. Further exploration of this phenomenon presently on hold."

"The Serum Connection?" Bucky was in no mood for games.

"Yes, Solider, hear me out. So, Bucky's DNA, which was drastically altered by the serum, is obviously in your baby's genes...making them indisputably 'connected'. Baby B currently has a uniquely obvious 'connection' to Lauren, which by default also connects her to Bucky." Tony was postulating. "It's crazy, but I can't think up any other reason this would be happening after the baby was conceived. You two weren't sharing dreams before were you?"

Bucky shook his head, "Does this mean that our baby is having the same dreams? Tony, I have some pretty horrific nightmares."

"Sorry man, there's no way to be sure, but it would seem to follow the pattern of our whole 'serum connection' theory."

"Damn."

Tony offered some semblance hope, "I wouldn't be too concerned about that. Most people don't remember things that happened while in the womb. Chances are good that Baby Barnes won't either."

Bucky was holding Lauren's hand. It was bad enough that she was experiencing the horror that plagued his dreams. He couldn't bear the thought of his baby going through it too. Lauren leaned close to him and whispered "It's ok. It really is. We're fine." He looked at her with guilty eyes, and she kissed him on the cheek and said again, "We are FINE"

There didn't seem to be anything they could do about it, so they learned to live with it. One blessing, if you were counting blessings, was that Bucky was having those nightmares only four or five times a month versus the four or five times a week that had been the norm for so long. He was getting better.

 

When Jordon heard them discussing the matter, he cackled with glee. This was an unexpected development that he was certain would come in handy at some point in the future. Dissecting the Winter Soldier was going to be so edifying and enjoyable! Col. Straus feared that Jordon was going to be a problem. He appeared to be so engrossed with his desire to hurt the Winter Soldier, that he was losing sight of everything else. Yes, Mr. Kane may still prove to be more trouble than he was worth.

 

One other point of interest that had resulted from the 'serum connection' ... When Baby Barnes was throwing a fit and kicking the daylights out of Lauren, all it took was Bucky placing his hand on her belly and rubbing gentle circles. His touch would calm the little one right down. Sometimes he talked to the baby as he rubbed, telling sweet little stories or just confirming how very much he/she was loved. Those were some of Lauren's favorite moments.

 

On this day, she had slept unusually late and woke with an uneasy feeling. "Probably just a little 'baby on the way' anxiety" she assured herself and she tried not to dwell on it. She TRIED. However, it didn't help that Spencer kept barking at nothing, making Lauren even more jumpy and on edge. She had tried to eat a little breakfast, but couldn't keep it down. Baby B was not happy that morning and was apparently trying out for a spot with the Riverdance troupe on her bladder. 

The doctors had insisted that Lauren stop working and stay close to home getting plenty of rest for the final month of her pregnancy, so she had been catching up on her reading. Grabbing a bottle of water and some soda crackers, she curled up on the couch with her book and soon dozed off. Later, she had no idea how much later; she woke to the sound of Spencer growling deeply. 

"What's up buddy? Is that interloping squirrel running the fence again?" She patted him on the head and made her way to the bathroom. When she heard an odd sounding yelp, she hurried back into the living room to find Spencer stretched out on the floor.

"Spence? Spencer?" she knelt down to see if he was okay. Her blood turned to ice water when she spotted a small dart protruding from the dog's neck. She pulled the dart out and standing as quickly as she could manage, she hurried to her purse, intent on grabbing the taser and phone tucked inside. In the blink of an eye, she was startled by a trio of men who seemed to appear from nowhere. The largest of the men grabbed the purse from her hands and dropped it to the floor.

"Now, now, you don't want to do anything that will get your baby hurt, do you?", as he spoke the last words, another of the men came up behind her, covering her nose and mouth with a cloth that smelled sweet like...

Lauren slumped into the arms of the first man and he picked her up and carried her outside to the waiting van.

 

When she came to, Lauren found herself locked in a room with no windows. It was equipped with a comfy bed (she knew because apparently she had slept in it for quite a while), a small couch, a table with 2 chairs, a large flat screen television and a small refrigerator, stocked with the necessities. She cringed as she realized that she had been re-dressed in what amounted to a hospital gown that fit well enough that everything was covered. Her own clothes were nowhere in sight. Her head was still foggy and she felt a welt on her arm. She had either been given some kind of injection or had blood drawn, maybe both. Baby Barnes was still quite active, so at least there was some comfort in that. 

Easing herself from the edge of the bed she walked to the bathroom. Again, no windows, but there was a skylight. It was dark outside, so she had been here, wherever here was, for hours. She knew that Bucky would tell her to stay calm and look at everything around her as a possible weapon. There was nothing here other than fluffy towels, scented soap and plenty of toilet paper. "Damn," she said out loud, "Where is MacGyver when you need him?"

She decided to turn on the television and was relieved to see she was still in an English speaking country... at least she had that much going her way. After a short time the door opened and the large man from earlier stood there with a tray of food. Lauren eyed him suspiciously, convinced that he wouldn't answer any of her questions, so why ask?

"How are you feeling little lady?" She stared at him. "I know you are probably afraid, but you are safe for now I assure you. You must be hungry. I promise there is nothing in this that will hurt you. Try to eat something." Lauren continued to watch the man, her eyes filled with contempt. He sat the food on the table and left her alone.

 

Bucky and Steve were in trouble. The information they had received on this 'small terrorist operation' was grossly erroneous. In fact, it couldn't have been any more flawed if someone had deliberately misled them, which obviously they had. Under normal circumstances, between the two of them, they could handle a LOT. Having separated from Stark and Sam, they had been pinned down and grossly outmanned and out gunned for at least 30 minutes. And now, things had gotten quiet, too quiet. 

"Steve, what the hell? These guys knew we were coming, they were waiting for us." 

"I don't know Buck. This whole thing... it feels personal. Do you recognize any of the markings on the equipment or uniforms?"

"Hard to say. I've been too busy dodging bullets to really notice."

"Copy that."

 

Jordon was in a state of euphoria. Everything was going as planned. He had Lauren locked up and completely subdued. The latest update from Slovakia promised that the Winter Soldier was being reined in and would soon be under his control as well. The Colonel had just stopped by for sit-rep and seemed pleased that things were progressing as planned. Jordon watched Lauren on the camera hidden behind the screen of the television in her room. So far she appeared calm and more angry at the situation than she was afraid. That would all change soon enough, he was certain of that.

 

Wanda was frantic. She had stopped to check on Lauren and found the front door open and Spencer sitting on the porch looking lost. After a quick search of the small house, she found only Lauren's purse and phone spilled on the floor. There were no other signs of any kind of a struggle, but there was no sign of Lauren. She returned to the Tower building and contacted Vision, explaining what she had found and her fear that something bad was happening. Together they went to the communications center to contact Tony. No sense in alarming Bucky before they knew what was going on.

"Mr. Stark, we seem to have misplaced Ms Lauren, sir."

"What? Vision, what are you talking about?"

"Sir, Wanda was at the bungalow and there was no sign of Ms Lauren, although her purse and car are still there."

"Vision, did you check with her doctor? Or the hospital? Maybe Baby Barnes decided to make an early entrance?"

"Oh. No sir, we didn't think of that. Wanda does seem quite certain that something is amiss."

"OK. Kinda busy here. Check all the obvious places and if you don't find her, call me back."

"Yes sir."

"And Vision, don't contact Sgt. Barnes until we know what we are dealing with."

"Yes sir."

Wanda had been listening to their conversation on the speaker. She thought what Tony was suggesting was a waste of time, but agreed to go along with it, mostly because she didn't know what else to do.

 

Tony and Sam were dealing with their own little nightmare of rules, regulations and red tape. The informant that had sent them all on this wild goose chase had indicated that the terrorist group operated from two locations about 150 miles apart. They travelled back and forth between the two in hopes of eluding anyone looking for them. Cap and Bucky had been dropped off at one location, while he and Sam were to check out location #2. Things were not going as planned. The coordinates they had received were in the middle of a herd of goats. There was no sign of a terrorist group or activities. The people here were not your typical oppressed villagers. The local police seemed to think that Sam and Tony were the real problem and insisted on taking them in for questioning which they were forced to endure graciously as a result of the Sokovia Accords. They had been unable to contact Cap and Bucky and had no idea of the predicament they were in.

 

Lauren was pacing, pacing, pacing. She wanted to know what was going on. Who was holding her here and WHY? For the past 4 days she had seen only the man who brought her meals and a woman who brought fresh linens and emptied her trash. The woman wouldn't even look directly at Lauren, much less speak to her. She sat on the couch and used the remote to flip on the television. She half watched the news with very little interest until a special report grabbed her attention: 

"We have just received word that Steve Rogers, Captain America, has been seriously injured in an explosion that occurred a few days ago in a small village in Slovakia. He has been taken to the local hospital where he was admitted and is in guarded condition. It has also been reported that Tony Stark and Sam Wilson, who apparently were in the general area on a related mission, have arrived on the scene to assist in the investigation. Several locals were injured or killed when a cart loaded with explosives was ignited by gunfire in a battle that had erupted between Captain America and what appeared to be members of a terrorist group. Details are sketchy. Also involved in the melee was Bucky Barnes, The Winter Soldier. Sadly, local news reports indicate that his body has not been recovered and he is assumed to have perished in the explosion. We will have further updates as they become available."

Lauren felt herself growing faint as the world began spinning around her. She was trying to focus on her breathing to keep from passing out, while she processed what she had just heard. She held on to her tummy, rocking gently back and forth, trying to comfort Baby Barnes who was apparently as upset as she was. She kept whispering "He's not gone, he's not gone..I would feel it if he was..." over and over again. And in her heart, she believed her own words.

 

Bucky stared at the screen that Jordon had so thoughtfully provided, helpless to do anything but watch. He was enclosed in a cell with bars, glass and electric currents that shocked him when he got within inches of touching the walls. His head ached from the drugs they had pumped into him and giant gash he had suffered in the explosion. It felt like he had a broken rib or two and some other kind of internal injury as he kept spitting up blood. For three days he had been subjected to questions that he would not answer and threats that had no effect. The doctors who had kept him unconscious on the flight from Slovakia back to the states, were not fairing as well with a fully conscious Bucky. They came to take blood samples and administer care to his injuries, but they were terrified of him, for good reason. One had left the cell with a broken shoulder and another with a concussion.

Today, only minutes ago, Jordon Kane had come to stand before him. Mocking him and making threats, Bucky had ignored him until, with the flourish of a madman, Jordon had whipped the cover off the monitor and clicked it on, revealing Lauren being held in her own prison of sorts. Bucky had watched stoically, while his heart pounded in his chest, until the 'news report' had come on. He could hear the reporter talking about the botched operation and the injured Captain America. Lauren had paled considerably at the news and with the statement of his assumed death, she was clearly in distress.

"Jordon, I don't know why you are doing this. I don't know what you think I have done to you. But I am begging you, please. Please don't hurt them. I'll do whatever you ask, just don't hurt them." Bucky wanted to punch through the glass and strangle the man.

"Oh! So you DO speak? But look at you. The fearless Winter Soldier reduced to begging for the lives of a woman and a child. How quaint. How disgusting. How did you fall so far?"

Bucky's attention had been drawn back to the monitor as he watched Lauren pull herself together and getting up from the couch, she walked to the television, looking for something. After a brief pause, she moved closer and her expression was full of resolve as she spoke directly into the camera to whomever was on the other side.

"I know you've been watching me. I know you think you have the upper hand. And I know that this news report was for my benefit. But I don't buy it. You may have won some small battle, but you are going to pay for this. Bucky, MY Winter Soldier, he's going to make you pay. Don't doubt it for a minute. You are going to be sorry." And with that, she grabbed the corner of the television and dumped it to the floor.

In his cell, Bucky dropped his head. He was angry. He was afraid for Lauren and their baby. But more than anything, at that moment, he was proud. He couldn't stop the smirk that crossed his face. After a moment, he looked up to see Jordon's fierce expression. The man was clearly disturbed, which made him incredibly dangerous. 

 

Tony had finally managed to get every necessary clearance, he and Sam had completed their statements to the authorities and now, they were at the hospital being escorted to Steve's room. 

"Tony... where have you been? They won't let me out of here."

"Take it easy Cap. It seems that we are on everybody's no fly list. Still trying to figure out who is behind this dog and pony show, and what they have to gain from it."

"It's Bucky ... they took Bucky. We were BOTH down and out when they took him. They only wanted him."

"Damn." Tony shook his head, looking uncomfortably at Steve.

"What is it? What do you know?" 

Sam was on the phone, trying to reach Vision. When they were finally connected he confirmed that Lauren had still not been located.

"Tony?" Steve was sitting up and pulling monitors and the I.V. needles and all the rest of it off his body. 

"Steve, wait, just wait. All we know is that Lauren has been out of touch for a day or so. We don't know that anything bad has happened or that it has anything to do with what is happening here..."

"That's bull Tony and you know it. It's too much of a coincidence that both Bucky and Lauren have disappeared. What do we do?"

"Well first, you lay back and let me get a doctor in here to see if you will survive the trip back to the States. And then, we get our people back." Sam and Steve nodded in agreement.

 

Stark Tower II was in an uproar. Clint had arrived to find that Lauren was missing and he was not a happy camper. "What do you mean she disappeared? How does that happen? I thought this whole compound was secure from every kind of....what the hell??? Do we know anything about anything yet?"

Natasha tried to calm her old friend, "Clint, don't assume the worst. There are no signs of real struggle and Lauren is a pretty smart cookie... I'm sure she is fine."

"Yes, Nat, she is smart and quite capable under normal circumstances...however she is on the verge of giving birth for the first time. She needs to be here where she feels safe and secure. Oh..man. I don't like this at all."

Vision wondered aloud, not for the first time, if they should contact the local authorities. 

"Vis, we don't really KNOW that she is missing or for how long. She could simply have turned her phone off to get some much needed rest and forgotten to turn it back on." 

"That's not likely Natasha. She would want to have her phone on in case Bucky tried to reach her, I'm certain of that." Wanda was near tears.

At that moment, Cap, Sam and Tony entered the room in a rush. The whole group gathered around as Wanda asked, "Where is Bucky?" Tony and Sam exchanged glances while Steve settled himself into a chair.

Wanda continued, "Does he even know that Lauren is missing? Has he gone home to find an empty house?" Clint grabbed Wanda's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"They got Bucky," Steve spat out. "We are assuming the same people behind his capture have Lauren as well. And we have no idea where to start looking." 

Another chaotic round of questions and an accusation or two were fired around the room until Tony spoke loudly, "ENOUGH!! We need to calm down and come up with some kind of game plan." The room grew quiet. "Okay. Did we find anything out of the ordinary on the security cameras? Nat?"

"No... I checked back over the past 4 days. This place is really pretty boring. Not a thing out of place. There was an electrical repair van close to Lauren's house on Sunday afternoon, but I checked with the neighbors and security. It was all on the up and up." Clint shook his head, it seemed like too much of a coincidence to him and he was not convinced that it was nothing.

Wanda jumped in, "I talked with Lauren on Sunday afternoon, that was the day after Bucky left with the three of you. She was telling me about a couple of things that she had bought for the baby's room and mentioned that Spencer had been anxious all day... Other than that everything seemed fine, but that was the last time I talked to her. I called on Tuesday and got no answer, so I stopped by to see her today, and you know the rest."

 

Bucky waited for Jordon to say something. It seemed like the man was in some kind of trance. He was staring at Bucky, but he surely wasn't seeing him. His lips moved, though no sound came out.

 

\-----In Jordon's mind, he was a young boy again. His father, who worked as a lab apprentice for HYDRA, had witnessed the mythical Winter Soldier, revived and sent into action two days earlier, and hadn't stopped talking about it since. He was justifiably impressed with the man's strength and resolute determination to complete the mission set before him. Over and again, Jordon listened to his father tell the tale to his friends and each time the details of the story grew more impressive, more daring, making his own involvement more and more significant and his relationship to the Soldier more personal. By the end of the week, you would have thought that Jasper Kane was the proud father of the Winter Soldier, having trained him personally in all manner of combat and weapons use.

As a result, at the tender age of 8 years, Jordon had taken it upon himself to learn a few Karate kicks and punches that the neighborhood kids were so excited about. It was 1988, the 10 year anniversary of the release "Enter the Dragon", the Bruce Lee film that had stared the 'kung fu" movie craze in the states and had quickly become a 'classic' among action loving movie fans. Jordon was small for his age and not the least bit graceful or coordinated. During his attempt to impress his father and his friends with the moves he had learned, he fell and injured his wrist. His father laughed good-naturedly. Jordon cried and his father laughed even harder, telling his son that the Winter Soldier would not cry. And so the seed of hatred was planted in a young boy's heart. It remained there to fester and ooze and grow a life of its own, turning into a perverse desire to best the man who had stolen his father's love and attention from him.

All of Jordon's efforts were for naught, as Jasper Kane had died before Jordon had entered high school. He never saw his son earn his many academic awards and degrees or his accomplishments in astrophysics and the various research programs he had directed for NASA. His father never knew how his moment of misplaced laughter and thoughtless words had destroyed his son's ability to cope with rejection or failure of any kind.-----

 

And now, fate had placed the focus of his hatred in his hands and Jordon intended to make the most of it. "Tell me Soldier...how does it feel to be on the losing side for once? How does it feel to be a disappointment? How does it feel, knowing that you can't stop me from doing whatever I want to you or your precious Lauren?"

Bucky was so angry he was shaking. He didn't want to say anything to set Jordon off, but he still didn't understand where all this anger was coming from. "Jordon, is this about your dismissal from Stark Industries? That wasn't Lauren's fault. Tony came to us and "I" told him you had to go. Don't take that out on her, please."

"Stark Industries?! No! I don't care about that place. I was only there because I learned that you were staying at the compound. You were amazingly easy to find. It's a wonder someone else hasn't taken you down a notch or two already. And of course when I learned that YOU were the reason that Lauren was not responsive to my advances? That sealed her fate as well. No. This is not about Stark Industries. This is about you, The Winter Soldier who stole my father's love and respect from me. The one I could never compete with in my father's eyes. This is about YOU taking everything that was important to me and making it your own. In fact, I think it's high time I pay a visit to Lauren, don't you?" Jordon was smiling at Bucky, but there was no light, no life in his eyes.

Shaking his head, Bucky heaved a shaky sigh, "Jordon wait. You, you don't need to prove anything. You don't need to do this. Lauren didn't do anything to you, not on purpose. She, we knew each other before she moved here. There is no way she would ... Jordon. Don't hurt her." Jordon was enjoying the looks of misery, dread and absolute defeat in Bucky's eyes.

"Oh don't worry. She'll be begging for more before I'm finished with her. She will forget all about you and I'll be the one she turns to for...everything." Jordon offered Bucky a weak salute and walked off without looking back.

"Jordon. NO!! Stop! Jordon!!"

 

Bucky was beyond furious. He picked up the lone piece of furniture in his cell, a bare metal cot. He slammed it into the bars of the cell over and over, the electric current zapping him hard with each blow, his metal arm taking the brunt of the heat.

"Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!" he yelled angrily as he slumped to the floor. He was breathing hard as he leaned his head back, running his fingers through his hair. He eyed the opening above the cell where the ceiling should be, but instead, there were more bars. He was, effectively in a cage with no way out. He started coughing then, holding his ribs and spitting up a splatter of blood. He pulled himself up from the floor and settled back on the now scorched cot, cursing God, Jordon, HYDRA, SHIELD, himself and whoever else he could think of in a weak attempt to keep his mind off of what Jordon might be doing to Lauren.

 

"Thor!!" Wanda practically shouted his name. "We need Thor, he can tell us where they are, or at least his friend Heimdall can. I mean, he can see any one of us if he tries, right? How do we contact Thor?"

Tony shook his head, "We don't contact Thor. He just shows up when he thinks we need his help."

"But that makes no sense... there has to be a way!"

"Wanda, perhaps you and I could come up with something if we put our heads together?" Vision was trying to calm the woman down by keeping her busy. 

"Short of standing outside and screaming his name, I don't think I have any ideas left in me..."

Lightning flashed and the distinctive sound of thunder rumbled as Thor entered the room through the balcony door. "Greetings my friends! It seems that you have misplaced the Soldier of Winter and his fair Lady Lauren. I come with the answers you seek."

"Thor! If you knew we needed your help, why did it take you three days to get here? And by the way how DO you know these things?" 

"Has it escaped you Metal Man, that I am a god? And that I have more than one realm to watch over and keep the peace in? I came to you as soon as I returned to Asgard and Heimdall, who is always tuned into this group's activities, let me know that something was wrong. I am afraid some semblance of stealth will be required in this situation, or I would have grabbed them already and brought them home to you. Both are being held in a HYDRA facility only a few miles from here. I suspect that HYDRA believed we would never think to look for our friends so close to home."

Tony looked at Steve as if to say "I told you so."

"So, WHERE are they?" Clint was ready for action. This sitting and waiting was driving him nuts.

Thor explained where the two were being held, all about the cell that Bucky was trapped in and that Lauren was kept in a room in another part of the building.

"How are they?" Steve wanted to know.

"Lauren seems to be fine as far as Heimdall could see. The Soldier had apparently sustained some injuries in the explosion, which he continues to aggravate attempting to escape, and is in some pain. Mostly he is angry because he can't find a way out of his cage. The metal arm may need some attention once we bring them home." Everyone in the room felt an acute sense of relief that Thor seemed so certain that they would indeed be bringing their friends home safely.

The group spent the next twenty minutes discussing the best way to approach the building and which 'prisoner' to rescue first and just how to get Bucky out of his cell. In the end, Steve, Tony and Clint were going after Lauren, while Sam, Vision and Thor hoped to work some magic on the cage that Bucky was held in. Nat and Wanda would be in the Quinjet with Lauren's doctor to make sure she and the baby were ok, and to help Bucky if needed. The plan was set and the rescue mission was soon underway.

 

Lauren was in labor. She had been told all about the different stages and understood some of what was supposed to happen, but she also knew that with this baby, the 'norm' was pretty much out the window. The discomfort she was feeling had started from the moment she woke that morning. Her water broke a few hours later. She wouldn't call it pain quite yet, but she certainly knew that something different was happening. She was afraid to tell her captors what she was feeling... and she was afraid not to. Either way, Baby Barnes was preparing to be born and there was no getting around that. More than anything, she needed to know Bucky was okay. She needed him to be okay and by her side. The baby had calmed down for now. Resting up for the big entrance maybe? Lauren curled up on the bed and waited. She waited for the real pain to begin. Waited for someone to come and tell her what this whole mess was all about. Waited for Bucky to come and take her home. She didn't think she could do this without him. A little while later, she was roused by the sound of her door opening. She turned to see who it was and had to rub her eyes to make sure she was seeing clearly.

"Jordon?" She couldn't have been more surprised if it had been Liz standing there. "What? How? Do you know what..." Taking in his smug expression and the official looking lab coat that he wore, the truth started sinking in. 

"You? You are behind this? I don't... I don't understand. WHY?" Lauren was nearly speechless as the absurdity of the situation unraveled before her. Jordon Kane? What the hell?? This was like a bad movie...

Jordon smirked at her and said, "You'll find out all you need to know very soon. For now, we need to get you cleaned up. We have a guest I am sure you would like to meet." He stepped aside and the maid that cleaned her room entered with her clothes and fresh towels. "Maria will get you all dolled up. I'll be back in 20 minutes. Be ready."

Although she didn't have much hope, Lauren HAD to try, "Maria. Please. Please, you have to help me. My baby is coming soon and I don't want it to be born here, not in this place. Please help me. I can give you a number to call. That's all you have to do. Call them and tell them where I am."

Maria did not respond as she continued to help Lauren out of her hospital gown and offered her a warm, damp sponge to clean up with, then handed her the clothes she had been wearing when they took her. They had been washed and folded neatly. She was a prisoner, being treated like a guest. It made no sense.

"Maria. Please... help me."

The woman looked at her sadly and shook her head no.

"Okay. I understand. It's okay." Lauren sighed and started putting her clothes on. When she finished dressing, she brushed her hair and pulled it back in a pony tail, then sat on the edge of the bed and waited to see what would happen next.

 

Bucky tried the cage again... He thought maybe if he wedged the cot between a couple of the bars, maybe the damn thing would short itself out. Two things he hadn't considered. First, what he would do even if he did get the electricity off? There were still the bars and the thick glass barrier to contend with. And second, what would the contact with those electric bars do to him? His arm was basically acting as a lightning rod and there was nothing he could ground himself on. Even so, he had to try something. It didn't go well. Maybe he thought he could handle it because of all the years that HYDRA had used electric shocks on him during his memory wipes. Maybe he thought he was fast enough he could avoid being shocked. Maybe he just didn't think at all. Whatever his reasoning, he was now flat on his back, twitching himself awake, with severe scorch marks on his arm and jacket. He felt woozy and disoriented and he had bitten the shit out of his tongue.

That was how Jordon and Lauren found him as they looked down from the open observatory above him.

"BUCKY!!" Lauren could not stop herself from screaming his name. Jordon had his arm around her in a firm embrace and would not allow her to leave his side. "What have you done to him? Why are you doing this? Jordon, what is going on?"

Bucky heard Lauren's voice. He struggled to open his eyes. He tried to stand but his legs would not hold him and he sat down hard on the floor, looking up to see her standing there. "Lauren ифин, just do what he says. Don't risk yourself or the baby. I'm okay." Bucky tried to sound positive, but he was in a lot of pain and so weakened by his personal battle with electricity, it only made Lauren start crying.

"How sweet. The Winter Soldier showing such concern for his slut. So brave, so noble. Too bad it's all a lie." Jordon was feeling quite full of himself and enjoying the sensation immensely. 

Lauren looked at him in disbelief. "Jordon, why would you say something like that? What did either one of us ever do to you? Everything that happened with Mr. Stark happened because of your own actions. Not mine. Not Bucky's."

Jordon could not believe that she was talking to him this way. Didn't she realize that he held her very life in his hands? Before she even knew what was happening, Jordon raised his hand and slapped Lauren hard across the face. She was so startled by it that she stepped backwards and managed to lose her balance. Trying to stop herself from falling, she leaned forward and grabbed the railing that circled the observatory, holding on until she was finally steady on her feet again. As luck would have it, her body chose that moment to turn on her with a severe cramp that took her breath and bent her over in pain.

Bucky had seen the slap and in a rage he yelled, "You crazy son of a bitch!! I swear to God if you touch her again, I will KILL you!"

"Those are brave words for a man who can barely stand. Perhaps you should re-evaluate your situation Soldier. Your life may depend on it, as well as the lives of your woman and child. Don't test me."

Around the corner and just out of sight, Thor, Vision and Sam watched the proceedings in bitter silence. They had already contacted Tony to advise them that Lauren was in fact in the same 'room' as Bucky, just one flight up. "New plan people. Jordon Kane is holding Lauren to torment the Tin Man, who is effectively out of the game for the time being."

Steve interrupted Sam, "What do you mean. Is he conscious?" 

"Roger that Cap, but he is not looking too good. Are you guys on your way to this location?"

"10-4 Sam. We are there in 3, 2, 1 ..." At that moment there was a burst of activity on both floors. Steve and Tony took out all of the HYDRA soldiers around the observatory in short order. Clint was having a showdown with Jordon, who once again had a death grip on Lauren.

On the lower level, Thor and Vision were preparing to work on the cell, while Sam took pot shots at any armed men who tried to enter the prison area. Bucky could see what was going on above him and kept urging them to hurry.

"Soldier, you need to make yourself small."

"What?"

Thor explained, "Get to the center of the cell and roll up in as small a 'ball' as you can."

"Jesus..." Bucky was in no mood for games.

"Just do it!!" Thor shouted.

When Bucky had done as he was told, Thor and Vision nodded at each other. "Ready?" With one last nod of his head Thor raised his hammer and slammed it into the glass wall surrounding the cell, while Vision trained his blast of energy towards the iron bars. There was such a shockwave from the smash of Thor's hammer that Bucky thought he was in the midst of an earthquake. The sound of exploding glass came next, followed immediately by a wave of crystal like rain as it showered down and covered Bucky and the every inch of the room. The energy blast from Vision was doing what they wanted, melting the bars to the point that it only took a slight push from Thor to bend and push them inwards and out of the way; and all this without frying the man in the process. Thor approached Bucky and said,

"Stand up my friend, but keep your eyes closed while the glass falls."

Bucky did as he was told and gladly took the hand that Thor offered him. Once he was out of the cell he looked up to see Jordon, still clinging to Lauren, using her as a shield in an attempt to get away from Tony and Steve. Hawkeye was nowhere to be seen. It was clear that Bucky was determined to join in the battle but Vision suggested he needed to get medical attention as soon as possible. He could see that the metal arm was not functioning properly and that the man was not strong enough to be an asset to the team. 

"Please, Sgt Barnes. If you would just wait here, I assure you that Ms Lauren will be by your side in no time."

"I know you mean well Vision. But get out of my way." Bucky's stern words were countermanded by a fit of coughing that brought up a mouth full of blood which he spat out and immediately grabbed his midsection. 

Upstairs, the battle was all but won. It seemed that Jordon had been counting on the Colonel and a squad of his men to come to his aide. It didn't happen. Col. Straus, was already on top of the building heading toward his personal helicopter when Wanda noticed him and put the kibosh on his attempt to flee. Nat tied him and several of his men back to back in a circle. She wanted to go inside and see if they needed help, but decided she should stay and make sure that nothing happed to the Quinjet or the doctor on board.

While Jordon had all his attention focused on Steve and Tony, he missed the fact that Hawkeye had separated himself from the group. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and lined his sights up on Jordon. He wanted a head shot... but no one would believe it was an accident. He leaned over the upper rail and his eyes met Bucky's. In that brief moment, the message in those eyes was clear and Clint nodded his understanding and agreement at Bucky. He turned again to take aim. Jordon saw him then, and pulled Lauren in, directly in front of himself for protection. He was a tall man who stood several inches above Lauren. He didn't know that Hawkeye got his moniker for good reason. Clint pulled back the bow string, a serene smile on his lips, and let the arrow fly, hitting Jordon square between the eyes. For a moment Jordon's body remained standing, not yet aware that death had come for it. 

As Jordon's body slumped to the floor, no one said a word until Lauren bent over in pain again and called out Bucky's name. Clint looked at her and said, "Whoa!! Looks like Baby Barnes is coming a few days early!" He leaned over the rail and told Vision, "Get the Sergeant to the Quinjet. And tell the doctor that Lauren is having labor pains. We're going to have a baby!!"

 

The rest of the men looked at her like they had just realized what was happening and Tony picked her up and carried her to the roof to board the plane. Once inside she insisted on going to Bucky, who clearly needed more attention than she did at the moment. Sitting on the edge of the cot where he lay, she touched her hand to his face, pushing that persistent strand of hair from his eyes. "Bucky? He opened his eyes and took her hand in his, smiling his beautiful smile.

"Hey gorgeous," he struggled to sit up. 

"Bucky, no. Be still." Lauren was fighting back the tears.

Bucky pulled her closer and kissed her gently. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, baby I'm fine... well, as fine as a recently kidnapped woman in labor for the first time can be." She smiled at him. 

He looked at her with pain in his eyes. "I am so sorry this happened. It was my fault. Jordon was just another victim of my time as the Winter Soldier."

"No. You listen to me James Buchanan Barnes. Jordon was not a victim of anything but his own twisted mind. None of this is your fault and I don't want to hear another word about it, do you hear me?"

Bucky snorted, the pain meds doing the job that his own body was not able to handle at the moment. "Yes ma'am. I hear you."

The doctor, having made Bucky as comfortable as possible, insisted on taking a look at Lauren. The whole Avengers team was gathered around the couple and the doctor looked at them asking, "How about a little privacy, please?" The group looked at her like she was crazy, but backed up about 3 steps and continued to keep watch. Lauren smiled and assured the doctor that they were all family and that it was okay for them to be there. After a brief examination, Dr. Gaines looked around and asked, "Does anyone know how to fly this thing? If you don't want the baby born on it, we should get to the hospital."

Clint and Nat went up front and buckled in, Natasha taking the stick. The rest of the team found a seat, all but Sam. He sat next to Bucky who was drifting in and out of oblivion. "Hey man. Everything is good now. Stark will find a way to get you put back together, just in time to take care of your baby. You are going to be a great dad... I can tell. Of course, I'm going to be the BEST Uncle, so you'll have to keep up with me." Bucky squinted at him and said "Thanks man. Let's hope the baby isn't afraid of birds, eh?" Lauren smiled at Sam who said, "See, this is what I'm talking about. The Tin-Man has no appreciation for my many talents. I can't wait to see him change a messy diaper. He's not gonna be able to do it. He's going to fold just like a bad poker player." "Sam," Bucky was staring at him, "Shut up." Grinning, Sam patted Bucky on the shoulder, kissed Lauren on the forehead and found himself a seat.

The last thing Bucky heard before he drifted off to sleep was Steve saying, "You? You think you are going to be the best uncle? You better think again, my friend." Tony jumped in saying "That's right Wilson. Everybody knows and it goes without saying, that I will be the best..." Lauren smiled as she listened to the debate up front. Taking Bucky's battered left hand in hers, she rubbed his palm and played with his fingers feeling a peace that settled in her heart like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night. 

 

Several hours later, the Avengers gathered in a hospital room. Lauren looked tired but happy beyond words. Bucky, after a couple of hours of sleep and time for his body to use its healing abilities, was looking so much better it was amazing. Of course, the little bundle of joy he was holding might have had something to do with that. Once everyone had squeezed into the room, he said proudly, "I guess none of you are here to see me... so let me introduce you all to this precious little jewel," With a grin as wide as the ocean, he turned the baby around so they could all see, "Everybody, I would like you to meet Emily Rose Barnes." 

The "oooohhhs" and "aahhhhhs" went on for some time as each person there took a turn holding the baby, while a nurse looked on in amazement. She couldn't believe that she was in a room filled with so many 'heroes'. Not missing the look, Sam made sure to make himself known to her and kindly offered her a tour of Tower II if she ever got out that way. Steve just shook his head and bent down to give Lauren a kiss before handing Emily to her. He winked at Bucky and said "Hey guys, I think we should give these three a little time alone, what do you think?"

None of them wanted to leave, but they had to agree that it was the right thing to do. After saying their goodbyes, they filed out the door, Sam telling Tony, "See... I told you it was going to be a girl."

"Sam!! You did not! You said all along it was going to be a boy. Maybe twin boys!" Wanda corrected him with a grin...

Once they were alone and Emily was tucked in her bed, Bucky took Lauren's hand and said, "You did good baby." Lauren was quick to correct him, "WE did good. I couldn't have done it without you." Bucky climbed onto the tiny hospital bed with Lauren and pulled her close. "I love you Mrs. Barnes." Lauren replied softly, "And I love you Mr. Barnes." Emily Rose cooed her approval and they all smiled as they drifted off to sleep. 

It was the end of the first chapter of their lives together. But it was the beginning of something good. Something very, very good.


	7. EPILOUGE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Closure. Love wins in the end. A new story to tell? Time marches on.

EPILOUGE

After several weeks of intensive scans of the entire Stark operating systems; with every single inch of every room in every building and home on the entire compound being physically touched by trusted hands; with tedious vetting and much sweat and tears, Tony declared the compound CLEAN and bug free. He'd had to fire three more people who had been involved with Jordon and HYDRA on a much smaller scale. When they found the listening devices in the Barnes bungalow, Lauren was mortified to learn that anyone, not least of all Jordon Kane, had been able to hear every private detail of the time she and Bucky spent together. It took Bucky a couple of days to get her over her anguish of discovering that little tid-bit. After a completely new security system was installed, and every lock on every door had been changed, they all felt a lot better.

 

Emily Rose Barnes quickly became the unofficial mascot of the Avengers. She was such a happy, good natured baby that Sam jokingly asked if they were sure that the Tin Man was the father. The look that bought him from Bucky was enough that he never broached that topic again, even though he never really believed it. She had her daddy's eyes and smile, and her mama's button nose and high cheek bones. Top it off with the white blonde curls on her head and she certainly was a beautiful child. The team often quarreled over who got to hold her next or better yet, baby sit for a night while Bucky and Lauren had a little time to themselves. 

This was one such occasion. Bucky & Lauren left Emily in the hands of Wanda & Vision, as they took the night off to 'go to town', where they planned to take in an early movie, share a relaxed meal at a nice restaurant, and make very good use of the quirks that came with the hotel's king sized bed with no dog or baby to vie for their attention. Their first stop though, had been at a popular hair salon, where they both said a fond farewell to their long hair. It hadn't taken them long to learn that small child + constantly sticky, grubby little hands + tempting, long hair could add up to quite a mess.

Bucky was lying face down on the bed, dressed in nothing at all, as Lauren poured a little scented oil in her hand and began to massage his back. The moans he made confirmed that she was doing a good job and hitting all the right spots. 

"You know," she teased him playfully, "this hotel has a professional masseuse who could probably do a much better job of this than me."

"No. I don't want a professional... I want you," Bucky mumbled at her.

"Really? " she asked with a smile. "Why is that Mr. Barnes?"

"Because, Mrs. Barnes, when those magic fingers do this..." he rolled onto his back to reveal just what he was talking about, "I want to be able to do THIS." He pulled Lauren down and started tickling her without mercy. Finally she could take no more and pleaded "Bucky, STOP!!" She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"Stop" he asked incredulously. "Why should I stop?"

"Because", she managed to squeak out, "If you don't, I'll have to do this." Lauren grabbed the nearest pillow and swung it at Bucky, but he was too fast. He blocked the pillow and took it from her, tossing it on the floor. He loomed above her as he asked, "Now what are you going to do?"

Biting her lip, she thought about it then said with a sigh, "I guess I'll have to do this..." She hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of herself, kissing him deeply and moving her hands to his well muscled butt, squeezing playfully. It was her turn to ask, "Now, what are YOU going to do?"

The rest, as they say is history.

 

A few weeks later, on a beautiful summer day, Bucky, Lauren and 'Emmy Ro' as Uncle Sam called her, were having a picnic in their backyard. Spencer was doing a good job of keeping the baby rounded up and close to mom and dad, even though she was walking well enough to get into everything, while Bucky and Lauren watched her from their blanket in the grass. Steve, Nat, Sam and Carla, the nurse from the maternity ward, were also there, enjoying a competitive game of horseshoes. 

"Bucky, are you happy?" Lauren wondered aloud.

"What?" he felt a strange sense of déjà vu. "Of course I'm happy. I have absolutely everything I ever wanted."

"I know... You say that, but I still think sometimes that maybe, just maybe, you wish you hadn't gotten involved with me so soon after you escaped from HYDRA. You missed a lot of years of sowing your oats... ya know?"

"Lauren, stop it. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. And you know it." 

"Are you sure? I mean, I know you are an honorable man. And you would never abandon your baby, but ..."

"Okay. What is this? You obviously have something eating at you. Just spit it out. We promised each other there would be no more secrets and..."

Lauren was smiling at him sweetly, as he cocked his head, looking at her slyly. A tentative smile crossed his lips as he asked her softly, "Lauren... Are you pregnant?"

She just giggled and nodded yes. 

Bucky stood up and pulled Lauren with him, grabbing her up in his arms and spinning her around. The others looked at him like he had lost his mind. 

"What on earth is going on?" Sam wanted to know.

"Good news!!" Bucky grinned and shared with them that another baby was on the way.

Sam smiled broadly and declared, "This time it's going to be a boy. And of course you will name him Samuel Alfonso... after my grandfather and me." Steve had a very different name in mind and the argument was on.

Bucky looked at Lauren and whispered, "I sure hope it's another girl..." They kissed then, the way only two people deeply in love can do. 

Life was good.

Time marched on... just as it should.

 

MUSIC CHOICE -- "Kiss You All Over" -- Exile

  

THE END....


End file.
